A Benue farmer, Tivta Samuel Aondohemba, has raised alarm over the destruction of a significant portion of his rice farm by armed Fulani herders, describing the incident as a reflection of the ongoing challenges faced by many farmers in the state.
In a post shared on social media, Aondohemba said he invested heavily in the farm and had applied fertilizer a week earlier. Following recent rainfall, he woke up early to inspect the field only to discover that armed herders had allowed their cattle to graze on the land, destroying and consuming nearly half of the crop.
He challenged claims of restored peace often made from Makurdi, stating that farmers confronting the situation on the ground continue to suffer attacks and losses at the hands of armed herders. “They have turned us into slaves on our own land. They decide what we can do and when we can do it on our own farms,” he wrote.
Aondohemba stressed that this remains the daily reality for many farmers whose investments, livelihoods and means of survival are being wiped out, and urged an end to the pretence that all is well while such destruction continues.
