By UDORA ORIZU

The House of Representatives has urged the federal government to mobilize security personnel to dislodge the alleged invasion of Obiaruku communities in Delta State by suspected herdsmen and intensify efforts at ensuring that peace is restored to the communities.

The House also urged the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to provide relief materials to the victims.

The resolutions were sequel to the adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Ossai Nicholas Ossai at plenary on Thursday.

Moving the motion, Ossai alleged that since the first week of July 2021, suspected herdsmen have been invading, attacking and taking over the communities’ farmlands and other landed properties in Obiaruku, Umuebu, Eziopkor, Obinomba, Owah-Abbi, Ebedei and Umutu communities in Ndokwa/Ukwuani Federal Constituency of Delta State.

According to him, the herdsmen barricaded the major entrance leading to the communities’ farmlands, thereby depriving members of the communities from accessing their farms which is their main source of livelihood.

He lamented that women who manage to enter their farms are being raped on a daily basis by the herdsmen who continue to destroy economic trees, farm produce and other staple crops such as yams, cassava, maize and vegetable products.

He further lamented that the indiscriminate and sporadic shootings in the communities by the suspected herdsmen have resulted in the death of hundreds of people and some of the corpses are presently in the mortuary while others have been buried.

He expressed concerns that people of the affected communities can no longer go to the farm and have to pay vigilante groups to escort them to their farm on specific announced days.

Ossai added that as a result of the attacks, there have been a rise in the price of foodstuff which is causing untold hardships on the people.

Adopting the motion, the House mandated its Committee on National Security and Intelligence to visit the communities with a view to investigating and ascertaining the security situation and the extent of damage.

In a similar vein, the lawmakers at plenary, adopted a motion sponsored by Hon. Dennis Idahosa, urging the Nigeria Police Force to provide security along the Lagos-Ore-Benin expressway, so as to ensure the safety of road users.

The lawmakers also urged the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to commence the rehabilitation of the caved-in section of the Ugbogui Bridge along the same expressway to ease the hardship and danger being faced by commuters plying the road. (THISDAY)

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