By Emmanuel Enebeli
EMU-EBENDO/Nigeria: For farmers in parts of Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State, the journey to the farm is increasingly being accompanied by concerns about personal safety.
Recent incidents reported around Emu-Ebendo, Umusam Ogbe and neighbouring communities have heightened anxiety among residents who depend heavily on farming and plantation activities for their livelihoods.
The latest reported incident involved rubber tapper John Ogoro and his 12-year-old son, who were allegedly confronted by three armed men while returning from a rubber plantation along a bush path between Emu-Ebendo and Umusam Ogbe on September 14.
According to reports, the men were allegedly ordered to kneel, while Ogoro was accused of killing cattle. The farmer reportedly denied the accusation before the situation escalated and he fled. He sustained injuries and was subsequently taken to hospital, according to reports. The Delta State Police Command confirmed the incident and said no arrest had been made at the time of its confirmation.
The incident has since been followed by further reports of tension in the area, with residents expressing concern about travelling to farms and plantations.
A separate report from Emu-Ebendo also described an alleged confrontation involving a farmer and men suspected by residents to be herders. The account has been disputed in some details, underscoring the need for authorities to establish the facts surrounding individual incidents rather than allowing competing accounts to deepen community tension.
For farmers, however, the larger concern is straightforward: how can they continue working their land if they are afraid of travelling to it?
That question matters because agriculture in the affected communities is not simply an economic activity. Rubber, cassava and other crops provide income for families and sustain traders, transporters and other small businesses connected to rural production.
Persistent insecurity could therefore have consequences beyond individual victims. If farmers begin avoiding particular routes or plantations, production may fall, household incomes may be affected and food supply chains could become more difficult.
The situation also calls for restraint in the use of labels. Allegations against suspected attackers should not be treated as established facts until investigations determine who was responsible.
What is required from the authorities is effective policing, timely investigation and reassurance to rural residents.
Community leaders, farmers’ groups, security agencies and livestock-management authorities also have a role to play in preventing disputes from escalating into violence.
For Ndokwa West, the priority should be to keep farmers on their land without putting their lives at unnecessary risk.
The farms must remain places of work, not places where residents have to calculate whether returning home safely is possible.
