Agrarian communities in the Dikwa district of Borno State are calling on security operatives to take action after a woman was raped and a farmer was killed, allegedly by nomadic herders.

A farmer has been killed and a woman raped allegedly by nomadic herders in the Dikwa district of Borno State in Nigeria’s northeast.

Yusuf Maida, the elder brother of the deceased farmer, said they saw about 10 herders with their livestock approaching their farm in the early hours of Wednesday, January 8.

“The herders were coming towards us. They were carrying bows and arrows as well as cutlasses. Although they were armed, they did not look aggressive. They were calm and we were not too worried.

“But as they came closer, they let their livestock roam on to our farmland. The animals immediately started eating our produce and trampling the crops. We shouted at them to try to get them to stop their livestock but they took no notice of us.

“My brother, Mohammed, got upset and could not hold back. He went to speak to the herders. He wanted to tell them to rein in their cattle and stop them from eating the crops.

“The herders did not allow him to get close. As he was walking towards them, they started shooting at him with their bows and arrows. Mohammed collapsed; he was bleeding. Another of my brothers went to help Mohammed. The herders stabbed him. He has stab wounds on his hands and head.

“We buried Mohammed according to Islamic rites. My younger brother is in hospital receiving treatment.

“The herders moved on with their livestock before we could get help from security operatives.

“Now, Mohammed is dead, my brother is in hospital and our crops have been stripped and trampled.”

Maida’s neighbour, Mohammed Atom, told RNI that last year he lost all his farm produce to the herders and their livestock.

“Last year, herders invaded my farm. I was on the farm but I could not do anything to stop the herders and their livestock because I was scared the herders would attack and kill me. They told me to leave the farm warning me that if I stayed, they would kill me. I did not have a choice. I left. When I returned, the plants were trampled and all the produce was gone. My farm was destroyed.”

Atom said he and other farmers in the Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State had been dreading the invasion by herders and their livestock this year.

“There has been an escalation in the number of farm invasions by herders this year. We have been expecting the worst.”

Atom said that after last year’s experience, he wondered whether he should even try farming again this year.

“In the end, I decided to plant some crops. To protect my crops, I told my family that I would stay on the farm and not return home until after harvesting. But then I heard that some farmers had been attacked by herders on their lands. I decided to leave my farm and go home, just to be safe.

“On Wednesday, the herders invaded my neighbour’s farm, killing one of his brothers and injuring the other.

“The next day, the herders invaded my family’s farm. They raped my sister. When my other sister tried to stop them, they stabbed and injured her. Both of them are in hospital in a critical condition. The family is in shock.”

Atom said the herders had also destroyed more than half of his farm produce.

“We are angry. The authorities are not doing anything so we decided to take revenge on the herders.

“We mobilised community members to join us. But on the way, the military in Dikwa stopped us. They promised to take action. They said they would find the herders and they would be suitably punished. So we all went back home again.”

Atom said he and the community were not convinced the military would actually do anything to stop the herders because they has not managed to do so in the past.

“For many years, the military has been telling us the same story without taking any practical steps to bring an end to the conflict.

“We will wait to see if they do anything before taking our next step,” he said.

“The bush is no longer safe for us farmers. And it is even more dangerous for our young women. My sister is not the first woman who was raped. The herders rape women on a daily basis and nothing has been done.”

Security operatives in Dikwa told RNI that they were aware of the incidents and were working “very hard” to prevent future occurrences.

“When we receive a report, we call for a security meeting with all the relevant stakeholders to discuss what happened and to find a solution. We will have the meeting before the end of the week and we will revert.

“We understand the pain and suffering of the farming communities and the bereaved families. But we are asking everyone to remain calm as we are doing everything possible to protect their lives and livelihoods.”

AYSHA MUSTAPHA KOLOMI