The farmers and cattle breeders in Anambra State may clash again, following the destruction of crops by the cattle near Umueri Cargo and Passenger International Airport in the state.

This is coming few weeks the anti-open grazing law was passed in the state by the State House of Assembly.

The incident happened on Friday as herders invaded the newly constructed airport with their cows.

It was gathered that the herders gained entry from the Umueri route to the airport destroying farms close to the airport.

The situation has brought fear and confusion particularly to farmworkers close to the airport, who have vowed not to allow such to continue.

One of the farmers, Ezinne Nwede, who works with Offor farms, sharing a border with the airport, told The Nation that they would not fold their hands to allow cows destroy their sweat.

“We were gripped with fear when the cattle herders climbed the wire fence of the farm into the place to scare the workers from dissuading them.

One of the horticulturists, Udochukwu Uzor, contracted to plant palm trees at a farm near the airport, said he was terrified at sighting the “dreaded cattle herders” that he was reluctant to do the job.

He said that about two months ago, the herders gained entry into the farm workers’ house at the nearby Offor farms to steal foodstuffs from one of the rooms occupied by farmworkers.

When contacted, the owner of one of the farms, Ikenna Offor, expressed very deep concern about the development.

He said that he thought the issue of open cattle grazing had been finally addressed by the Southeast governors.

Anambra State Police command, says the farmers and herders had no problems in the State, as they had been working together.

The Police spokesperson, Ikenga Tochukwu, told The Nation that the State Government set up a committee comprising all the heads of security agencies in the state headed by a retired Commissioner of Police in the state.

However, Governor Willie Obiano, Friday, debunked the claim that herders invaded the Anambra State Cargo and Passenger International airport Umueri, describing it as fiction

The State Government reacted through the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, C Don Adinuba.

“Nothing could be further from the truth. Even by the standard of sensational journalism, the report took fiction too far.

“There was no case of cattle herders gaining “entry from the Umueri route to the airport, destroying farms close to the airport.”

“The perimeter fencing of the airport is up-to-date and cannot be breached easily, not by man or even far less by cattle,” the government said. (The Nation)

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