The District Chief Executive for Afram Plains South, George Ofori, has appealed to Dagombas in the Gyaneboafo community, where a nomadic Fulani herdsman has gunned down a farmer, to exercise patient as the security intensifies search for the suspect.
The deceased, a Dagomba, was shot in the abdomen when he and his two brothers attempted to arrest the suspect who was fleeing after his cattle destroyed their harvested tubers of yam at Gyaneboafo, near Bonkro in the Afram Plains South District of the Eastern Region.
The deceased, traveled to the community to visit his brother, owner of the farm, but met his untimely death. The incident has angered the Dagomba community who are threatening to retaliate.
About a decade ago, over a dozen Fulani herdsmen were reportedly killed by rampaging Dagombas in the District after a similar incident. For fear of history repeating as tension escalates among the Dagombas and Fulanis over the murder, the District Security Council (DISEC) has held meeting with leadership of both factions calling for calm.
Meanwhile, the leaders of Fulani community have promised to fish out the suspect from his hide out to the police for arrest.
The DCE for Afram Plains South, who also doubles as Chairman of DISEC, told Starr News that “in fact the Dagomba People were preparing to retaliate but I have calm them down to exercise patients because the Fulani people themselves say the know the one who killed Dagomba man so they are going all way out to make sure they arrest him so I said they should exercise patients so seriously speaking, the Police are on it doing their best to apprehend him. We have given us ourselves three to four days ‘time to meet again to see the necessary action to take”.
According to the DCE, the District is overwhelmed by the estimated 60,000 cattle that have fled from Sekyere Afram plains, Kwahu -Dwerebease, Asante Akyem Agogo and parts of neighboring Donkokrom seeking refuge in Afram Plains South District which also has lots of grass for the cattle to graze, therefore has called for external security intervention to help deal with the menace. According to the DCE, no cattle will be allowed to move in free range henceforth in the District. He therefore cautioned herders to either move their cattle to the Cattle Ranch facility established by government or be flushed out of the district.
The feud between farmers and herders in the Afram Plains South Area, escalated since January after the cattle began destroying farms and crops as well as pollute water bodies as the harmattan intensified.
Two weeks ago, some farmers in Communities such as Gyaneboafo Aframsu, Kwame Boye, Makofi, Charity, Bonkro, Tease among others threatened to take the laws into their own hands to fight the herdsmen should the security fails to flush out the herders and their cattle.
Following Starr News report on the tension which was simmering, a joint team of Military and National Security personnel was dispatched to carry out a two-day operation which led to the killing of dozens of cattle.
Leadership of the herdsmen in the District claim, about 500 cows were killed during the operation while some herdsmen sustained gunshot wounds.
The Chief of Fulanis in Donkorkrom, Idrisu Sambo claimed out of the number, 40 of the cows killed by the military belonged to him.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh/Kojo Ansah