Babatunji Wusu –
Millions of Naira worth of yam seedlings and cassava crops were damaged by armed individuals suspected of being Fulani herdsmen in Benue State’s Chembe village, Gaambetiev, Logo Local Government area.
It was learned that over the previous ten years, the village had seen several raids by herders, who had driven the villagers out.
Most of the villagers are currently housed in Anyiin’s Internally Displaced Persons camps.
Even with all the challenges of living in an IDP camp, the villagers still make their daily pilgrimage back to the field between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm.
Eric Chembe, the proprietor of the wrecked cassava and yam seedling farm, told The Nation that the plantation was larger than half a hectare.
“I received a call from one of my older brother’s wives informing me that suspected herdsmen who grazed on my farms with their cattle late into the night completely destroyed my yam seedlings and cassava farm, which spans over half a hectare,” he claimed.
“I am restless since I received the sad news because my main investment is cassava, which I invested a lot of money in producing.
“As a family man, I don’t need soothsayers to tell me that troubles have doubled overnight because I rely primarily on my farm produce for survival in this hard economy.”
Chembe said that the destroyed cassava and yam plants were worth more than N50 million.
If the federal government is serious about ensuring there would be enough food, he urged security authorities to safeguard farmers.
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