Tension is mounting in six communities of Odukpani Local Government Area of Cross River State following repeated destruction of farmlands by cattle belonging to Fulani herders.
Farm produce worth millions of naira has reportedly been lost in the affected areas, worsening the economic strain on rural farmers who depend largely on subsistence agriculture.
The impacted communities include Ekemkpon, Atan Akani Obio Okoyong, Esuk Okoyong, Ikot Essien, Ikot Nyong and Atan Okoyong, alongside other settlements along the coastal highway axis.
Village head of Atan Akani Obio Okoyong and clan secretary of Onimankiong clan, His Highness Deno Enuo Ekpenyong-Inang Itam Ating, said the crisis escalated after herders resumed grazing in the area despite earlier resistance by residents.
He recalled that tensions deepened after herders allegedly sought and obtained permission from some local leaders in 2024 to graze cattle in Ikot Essien, an arrangement that later collapsed when the livestock strayed into other communities, destroying crops.
Community leaders said the destruction prompted a ban on open grazing, noting that beyond feeding on grass, the cattle uprooted cassava, pumpkin and cucumber farms, leaving farmers devastated.
Ating further alleged that retaliatory attacks by farmers, including the killing of cows, led to the death of a farmer, Mr Udo Isong Akpan, in 2024, a case reportedly handled by the police in Calabar.
Residents said the crisis has been marked by intermittent confrontations, with earlier reports of herders brandishing weapons disputed by security agencies, even as fears of escalation persist.
Efforts by security operatives to mediate and relocate the herders reportedly yielded only temporary relief, as the cattle later returned and resumed grazing on farmlands.
Confirming the development, the state secretary of the Herders Association, Usman Abubakar Mai, said the group has ordered an immediate evacuation of herders from the area and is supervising a phased withdrawal to prevent further damage.
“We are prioritising peace. The herders have been asked to leave, and the process is ongoing to avoid chaos or further destruction,” Mai said, noting that only a few groups remain and are expected to exit within days.
Residents, however, warned that unless decisive and lasting measures are implemented to regulate grazing, the situation could spiral into a wider conflict, stressing that tension remains high across the affected communities.
Tension in Cross River communities as cattles ravage farmlands
