Adaklu-Tsrefe warns herdsmen against entry into its boundaries

The Chief and people of Adaklu-Tsrefe, in the Adaklu District of the Volta Region, have begun marking their boundaries with “danger” signs to prevent herdsmen from entering their territory.

A statement signed by Togbe Senya IV, Dufia of Adaklu-Tsrefe and copied to the Ghana News Agency (GNA), entreated cattle owners and herdsmen to consider Tsrefe as a restricted area for grazing purposes.

The statement said the decision had become urgent and necessary, considering the number of farms and crops destroyed by the cattle and their herdsmen.

It said some herdsmen deliberately lead their cattle to their farms with guns and watch the animals destroy their crops including maize, rice, yam, cassava and okra.

A number of farmers in the community are victims of this barbaric behaviour, it said.

The statement said though several reports have been made to the Police and other relevant authorities, nothing has been done about the situation, and the farmers were yet to be compensated.

It said the herdsmen had been invited to the Traditional Council and implored to desist from the practice but have obviously declined to comply.

“A lot of our people are now seeing farming as time-wasting and as a result, some of the youth have started indulging in criminal activities to make ends meet,” it said.

The statement said the worst part of the situation was the continuous attack on farmers by the herdsmen.

It said on January 21, 2021, four Fulani herdsmen rushed on Togbe Edem III, Warlord of the community, when he asked them to leave his farm with their cattle.

“We can no longer tolerate these inhuman, heartless and criminal activities of Fulani herdsmen in our land."

Since no landowner of Adaklu-Tsrefe has accommodated any Fulani, we would like to advise them to remain in the fields of their landlords,” it said.