War in Abia state as Herdsmen attack farmers , kill one, crops damaged as herdsmen,

www.odogwublog.com reports that herdsmen killed one person and destroyed crops worth millions of Naira at Umuobasiukwu, Ozuitem community in Bende Local Government Area of Abia State.
The herdsmen clashed with clashed with farmers who resisted their wanton destruction of their farm land. 

Commissioner of Police, Mr. Leye Oyebade who confirmed this at a press briefing Monday evening in Umuahia , said the incident occurred on Sunday.

The CP was flanked at the briefing by the Chairman of Hausa/ Fulani community in Abia, Alhaji Danladi Yaro; Deputy Speaker of Abia House of Assembly, Hon. Cosmos Ndukwe;  former Chairman of Abia Council of  traditional rulers and the traditional ruler of Umuobasiukwu community, HRM Eze John Akarilo; the Chairman of Methi- Allah in the state, Hassan Buba; and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Captain Agwu Awa (rtd).

He however said that the situation had been brought under control as mobile police men had been deployed to the community to secure lives and property and prevent escalation of the fracas.

The CP who said he had also personally visited the community to ascertain the level of damages appealed to both parties to sheath their sword and give peace a chance.

He further said that a large  committee comprising representatives of  the herdsmen, Hausa/ Fulani community , the local community, the state government, security agencies and other stakeholders had been constituted to resolve the  face- off.

The police boss said that the peace committee would also fashion out ways to bring about a permanent solution to the frequent clashes between herdsmen and their host communities in the area.

He said that negotiations were also going on between both parties on possible compensation on the damages incurred during the fracas.

Corroborating the CP's account, the Chairman of Methi- Allah in the state, Hassan Buba appealed to herdsmen to embrace peace and live in harmony with their host communities.

Similarly, the traditional ruler of the community, Eze Akarilo appealed to the aggrieved youths of the community to sheath their sword and give peace a chance.

The Deputy Speaker, Ndukwe who said he had also visited the community sued for peace, assuring that efforts were being made to forestall further occurrences.

Yaro also sued for peace,  saying that Abia has been hospitable to Hausa/ Fulani community in the area.

Clashes between herdsmen and farmers have been a recurring decimal in  Ozuitem as well as some other communities in Abia North  in the recent times.

Some of the clashes leave in their entrails scores of persons mostly the hapless villagers wounded while crops and farmlands were also destroyed.

The farmers accuse the herdsmen of not only grazing on their farmlands with impunity, but also uprooting their cassava and some other crops to feed their cows, while the herdsmen  accuse them of ambushing them.