By Lontong Ibrahim
Troops of 6 Division of the Nigerian Army, have averted farmers/herdsmen clash at Akenfa 1, 2
and 3 communities in Yenagoa Local government Area of Bayelsa state, southern Nigeria.
Spokesperson of the Nigeria Army, Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman, said they were able to avert the clash following an intelligence report on activities of suspected herdsmen in the communities.
In the past one year, Nigeria has been experiencing incessant farmers/herdsmen clashes which has led to lost of hundreds lives and properties worth millions of naira. The states affected recently are Kaduna and Benue state in central Nigeria.
According to the spokesperson, while carrying out a general and aggressive patrol, the locals reported that some herdsmen while grazing along the area, allowed their cattle to eat up cassava from
their farmland.
“The patrol ensured that the matter was reported to the police where it is being addressed toward arriving at an amicable resolution between the parties involved.
“The troops in conjunction with other security agencies have continued to patrol and track down criminals within Azikoro and Okada communities in Bayelsa State,” Usman explained.
In a different development, the troops in its continuing effort to checkmate oil bunkering and theft conducted an anti-bunkering patrol
to some suspected locations where bunkering activities were being perpetrated in Rivers State, southern Nigeria.
The troops raided one of such locations at Buguma where a local refinery was found and destroyed.
Also discovered in the general area were tanks containing crude oil and 4 Cotonou boats also containing illegally refined crude oil products, the Army Spokesperson noted in a statement.
“Similarly, the troops deployed at Oron conducted patrol within the terminal in Mbo local government area to checkmate criminals, cultists and sea pirates’ activities while troops deployed along Eket-Onna road equally conducted patrol although no arrest was made,” the statement
added.