By Umar Dankano Yola
The residents of Ketembere Community in Shelleng local government area of Adamawa state have appealed to the Federal and state governments to urgently come to their rescue over frequent attacks by hippopotamus on their farmlands and people in the area.
They raised alarm over repeated invasion and destruction of their farm products,in some cases loosing human lives as a result of attacks by endangered wildlife especially the hippopotamus leaving in the famous Kiri Dam which they complained is seriously affecting their means of livelihood as peasant farmers.
Latest attack by the hippopotamus in the area was recorded over the weekend particularly on Sunday where the animals wandered in to surrounding farms fed and trampled cultivate d crops including maize,rice among others then rushed back in to the nearby river. The recurring destruction has resulted in significa nt losses for farmers who depend largely on agriculture for food and income.
Narrating his ordeal,a farmer, Alhaji Ngadan Muhammad of Ketembere Community said that the hippopotamus has caused serious damage to many farmers including himself and that over twenty farmlands were affected lamenting that the wild animals ate all the cultivated crops in many farms while other had one to two third portions of their farms destroyed beyond comprehension.
Ngadan Ketembere explained that the moment, raining season set in then the animals will be coming out in numbers to feed on their germinating and growing crops like maize,rice, sweet potatoes and other crops noting that a times the hippopotamus even attack and kill residents especially those fishing on the river and those with farms close to the river banks.
Ngadan expressed regret that, the animals have caused damage to over twenty farmers worth millions of Naira stressing that the hippopotamus are dangerous species of wild animals which if hungry,they always strike to feed on crops and in some cases they fight themselves on nearby farms and cause damage to the farmers.
“Our current situation is very bad because these hippopotamus have destroyed our farmlands with some of us having their entire farmlands wiped out completely while others had theirs trampled on the cultivation to very significant levels.
“The moment, raining season set in, the endangered wildlife, hippopotamus will always threaten our livelihoods as peasant farmers by destroying our crops and even killing our people especially those fishing on the Kiri Dam.
“In fact,it is an annual occurrence but thank God this year we didn’t lose any life because last year,we lost of our people to this attack. So we’re appealing to federal and state governments to intervene in our plight “. Ngadan solicited.
He however commended the efforts of the traditional district head of Shelleng Alhaji Abdulrahaman for always being there for farmers in situations of need saying that he deserves accolades from the authorities.
Another victim in the community, Alh.Yusuf Ahmad Shelleng said that, the affected farmlands are located close to a river inhabited by hippopotamuses, which regularly leave the water to feed on cultivated crops.
“Our farms are situated near the river where the hippopotamuses live. They come out to feed on our farm produce, including maize, rice and other crops, causing huge losses to farmers,” he said.
He further disclosed that the menace extends beyond crop destruction, revealing that the activities of the hippopotamuses have claimed lives in recent years.
According to him, some schoolchildren lost their lives after encountering the animals while bathing in the river, highlighting the growing danger faced by residents living near the water body.
He decried on hardship and fear experienced by farmers and residents of their communities saying the continued presence of the wild animals has disrupted farming activities and endangered lives.
He stressed that timely intervention would not only protect lives and farmlands but also safeguard food security and improve agricultural productivity in the affected communities.
When contacted on the development, the Hon.Commissioner of Environment, Alh. Mohammed Sadiq Kalu confirmed that his Ministry has received complaint on the matter and that the government is studying the situation for necessary actions to be taken .
Experts noted that the recurring destruction has become a major threat to the livelihoods of residents, as farming remains the primary source of food and income for households in the community urging appropriate authorities to act swiftly before more crops,livelihoods and lives are lost.
