Delta State Community Bans Beef Over Herders’ Attacks

February 24, 2020

A community in Delta State, South-South Nigeria, has placed a ban on beef to protest attacks on their people by herders.

The people of Uwheru in Ughelli North, Delta State, have been forbidden from eating or selling cow meat because of repeated attacks by herdsmen against farmers and residents of the kingdom, the Punch newspaper reported, Monday.

The paper reported that the ban was imposed on Saturday at a meeting of Uwheru community.

The paper said the meeting was attended by prominent indigenes of the area, including the Commissioner for Higher Education in the state, Patrick Muoboghare.

It quoted an unnamed source as saying, “By this ban, nobody can bring cow meat to any of the communities that make up Uwheru Kingdom for any function, be it burial or any other celebration.

“You can’t kill our people and expect us to be eating cow meat when our people can’t go to farm. The ban takes effect immediately.”

The Punch reported that at least 86 farmers in Uwheru have been killed in herdsmen related attacks in the past 12 years.