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From Gyang Bere, Jos
Last week, the people of Chaha community in Vwang District, Jos South Local Government, Plateau State, cried like babies following the destruction of their crops and farmlands by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
The destroyed crops included maize, cabbage and pepper. They were vandalised by suspected killer Fulani herdsmen, who invaded the farmlands and fed their animals with the farm produce.
The sad incident took place on the night of Monday, May 3, 2021, resulting in huge losses, pains and despair in the farming community. The situation was made worse by the fact that the farmers were already filled with hope and were planning to harvest their crops and sell them with a view to buying the fertilizers they would use in the next farming season.
Dalyop Samuel Dong was moved to tears when he set his eyes on his devastated farm. He could hardly understand why his months of hard work, would be reduced to nothing by the herdsmen and their animals. His whole year’s efforts have gone with the winds.
His lamentation: “This is what I do for a living. I have no other job anywhere. I don’t know why some people are very wicked! Why will somebody go into my farm and cut down my crops at the point of harvest?
“I don’t know if they were going to use it to feed their animals or if they just destroyed it because they don’t want us to survive.” He appealed to the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Ebuka and Jos South LG to intervene and ensure that compensation were paid for the destroyed items.
Those who also suffered losses of included Christopher Patrick, Sele Dung, Ayuba Yakubu, Henry Joseph and Dachung Dagala.
They all asked for compensations. Patrick told Daily Sun: “I don’t do any job apart from farming, Fulani herdsmen have been destroying our crops. They did the same thing in February this year, during the dry season farming. They begged us but they have repeated it now.”
District Head of Vwang District, Da. Gyang Gutt Balak, condemned the dastardly act. He said the incident would keep reoccurring in Chaha community, except the state and federal governments take steps to check the menace.
He explained that early this year, the community recorded a similar incident, where there was a massive destruction. This made the police commissioner and the Gbong Gwom Jos, Da. Jacob Gyang Bubu, to visit the community for an on-the-spot assessment.
He appealed to his subjects to remain calm while calling on the authorities to intervene to enable the victims go to their farms.
Chairman, Plateau State Inter-Religions Council (PIRC), Rev. Pandang Yamsat, said the council would continue to promote the culture of inter-faith dialogue as a viable mechanism for peaceful co-existence, understanding and religious tolerance:
“The council will work with different faith-based groups in these communities to expand religious pluralism and freedom of religion or belief in Plateau State.”
