Seven arrested in fresh farmer-herder clashes at Ejura

There is growing fear among residents of Ejura in the Ashanti Region following fresh attacks by cattle herders in the farming community.

Some local farmers in the area have disclosed to Dailymailgh that their food crops have been destroyed as a result of the recent activities of the nomadic herdsmen in the area.

It is also gathered that the tensions that existed between the local crop farmers and the herdsmen are reoccurring.

On Friday, January 3, 2020, the herders set a 20-acre maize farm ablaze after they allowed their cattle to stray into the farm and grazed on harvested crops gathered into several heaps in the farm.

Police at Ejura confirmed to Dailymailgh that more than 20,000 cattle were spotted when they proceeded to the scene with the complainant identified as Alhassan Sulley.

“When they saw the police they [herders] turned the cattle on them but the police fired warning shots to ward off the wild herds”, an incident report sighted by Dailymailgh read.

So far seven suspects have been arrested in connection with the incident and are assisting police in their investigations.

Some crop farmers, however, say they are living in fear and do not want to go to their farms.

“It has not been easy. These herders besieged my farm with their cattle not long ago. Most of my foodstuffs have been left in the bush. We are afraid to visit our farms”, said Abubakari Abdulai, whose 5-acre farm was burnt by herders on Thursday, January 9, 2020 at Sabonline.

“The cattle have been destroying my food crops. By the time you wake up and get to your farm, you will meet the cattle grazing on your farmland. We are helpless when that happens, there is nothing you can do except to run away. If you don’t run away, they will kill you”, another farmer lamented.

Dailymailgh understands that the development has been reported to the Ejura Municipal Security Council for further action.

The conflict between herders and local farmers in Ghana over the years; has not only led to the destruction of food crops, but also the loss of human lives.

The perennial problem normally occurs when the harmattan sets in.

In some instances, some herdsmen have been accused of sexual assault against women in the communities.

The agitations for the nomadic herdsmen to be moved from the area got to its peak when a traditional priest of Agogo, a farming community in Ghana’s Ashanti Region.

The deceased, Okomfo Kwasi Badu, was shot dead in the bush at Kowereso by a 16-year old cowboy, Aliu Baba in 2016.

This reportedly happened after Okomfo Kwasi Badu had protested against grazing on his farm by the cattle that were being tended by the teenager, Aliu Baba.

A joint police and military task force; known as ‘Operation Cow Leg’, was deployed to the area to help resolve recurrent controversies that existed between nomadic herdsmen and local crop farmers.

There have also been reprisal attacks by these farmers too.

At least 22 nomadic herdsmen, mainly of Fulani descent, have also been killed at Asante Mampong and Nsuta areas of Ashanti region in 2019 alone.

The National Secretary of Association of Fulanis, Yakubu Musa Barry, who revealed this at a meeting, said all the incidents of the murder have been reported to police but no arrest has been made so far.

According to him, in the latest incident, three herdsmen were found dead in a bush under strange circumstances.

“Three herdsmen were recently found dead; we reported to the police yet no arrest has been made; is it because we are Fulanis?” he quizzed.

By Jonathan Ofori, Daily Mail GH