Tension is simmering at Akyem Kukurantumi in the Abuakwa North Municipality of the Eastern Region over an estimated 5,000 cattle that have invaded the area from the Afram Plains where they were in loggerheads with angry farmers.
The affected farmers and residents of Akyem Kukurantumi planned to embark on demonstration on Friday but was called off after the Akyem Tafo district Police command failed to grant permit over unavailability of Police Personnel on the said date.
Addressing the media on Friday January 28,2022, the convener of the concerned farmers of Akyem Kukurantumi Yaw Darko said the thousands of cattle from Afram Plains invaded the area few weeks ago.
He said they have been causing massive destructions to farms and crops, creating fear and panic.
The farmers accused one Abusuapanyin Danso Yaw Missah of aiding in the herdsmen in their arrival to the area.
The farmers warned they will be forced to take the laws into their hands in chasing out the cattle and their owners.
“These herdsmen are in five groups and they migrated from , Maame Krobo and Adawso all located Afram plains as I speak with you now, farmers farm produce are rotting , others are being destroyed by the cattle because about one week ago nobody have been able to step foot to the farms for the fear that these fulani herdsmen may attack them in an attempt to stop their activities on our farms”.
Some small holder women farmers who spoke to Starr News said they are gripped with fear as the Fulani herdsmen have been threatening them.
They said the cattle graze on crop farms and jolt in cocoa farms causing damage to the cocoa flowers.
The herdsmen reportedly directed their cattle to chase some security personnel when they first attempted to interrogate them in the bush.
The situation has compelled the Abuakwa North Municipal Security Council(MUSEC) to trigger emergency security action dubbed ” coded operation” on Friday January 28,2022 to stampout the cattle and the herdsmen .
The operation team made up armed police , BNI and farmers was led by the Municipal Chief Executive for Abuakwa North ,Alhaji Babs Umar Bodinga.
He however said, the herdsmen fled their various camps with their cattle to unknown destination upon tip off about the imminent operation but believe the arrest of one of the herdsmen will facilitate investigation into their illegal presence in the area”.
“You can see that the coded operation that we started yesterday is yielding result, we been able to arrest one of them, burnt their belongings, this is another camp and we are here to announce out presence to them, since these are 36 young calf and we don’t have a place to confine them we will leave them here but later the real owners will come for them after hearing the arrest of one of their herdsmen” he said.
He said MUSEC will not hesitate to call for reinforcement of military if the need arises.
” the assembly will not relent on it guards but will fight and flush out the activities of the herdsmen within the municipality until they vacate the lands and if there is the need to call for reinforcement of military personnel from the region or national, the assembly is ready to take a full responsibility to protect the farmers”.
Source : Ghana/starrfm.com.gh/Kojo Ansah