Women protest, barricade road as herdsmen allegedly rape, destroy farmlands in Bayelsa

Aggrieved women of Yenizue-Gene and Okutukutu communities in Yenagoa Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, yesterday, barricaded the Melford Okilo Road in protest of alleged rape, harassment and destruction of their farmlands by herdsmen.

For several hours, the protesters halted vehicular movement as they laid siege on the busy road by erecting canopies and chairs where they displayed their cassava tubers and plants destroyed by cows.

Motorists and other road users were forced to make detour between Okutukutu and Yenizue-Gene axis of the road to beat the blockades.

The angry women rebuffed the entreaties of the police to dismantle the blockade insisting that the state anti open grazing law be implemented to the letter and the offending herders brought to justice.

Newsmen learned that an elderly woman was recently raped on her farm by the herders who have taken over their forest.

Angered by the development and the incessant attacks of the herdsmen, the women stormed the road as early as 6a.m., to register their grievances.

Armed with placards some of which read: “They are raping our women, government help us,” “Protest we don’t fight cow,” “Govt help us remove cows from our farms,” ” They are harvesting our cassava to feed their cows,” among others:

One of the protesters, Madam Gift, a mother of three, lamented the hardship they are going through in the hands of the rampaging herders, saying “Many of our people have stopped going to their farms because of the constant attacks and destruction of their farms by the herdsmen.”

Also, Bonus Wombu, the provost Marshal of Oguan, a retiree decried what he described as the inability of the government to protect them from the marauding herdsmen.

He said: “Yes, I am worse off. I am a retiree and I have many farms in the bush but as I speak with you, my only source of livelihood has been destroyed.

“Sadly, the government enacted the anti open grazing law sometimes in 2021, but the government is not doing enough to protect our people. That is our problem.

“Only recently, they have raped one woman at Amarata farm. So, we cannot sit back here and watch invaders take over our forest. The government should implement the law they have enacted.”

At press time, the state Commissioner of Police, Alonyenu Idu was meeting with the protesters.