In a courageous act of defiance against pressure and threats, 95-year-old Pa Uhurhemue Erhiahwe, the traditional leader of Egbo-Kokori community in Ethiope East Local Government Area of Delta State, has shared how he turned down a tempting bribe from Fulani herdsmen seeking control of community farmlands.
While speaking with Vanguard’s Niger Delta Voice (NDV), the revered elder revealed that in January, some herdsmen approached him with a peace offering of cows alongside a cash gift of N10 million, hoping to secure settlement rights in the area.
He explained that over time, the presence of herders in the community had led to repeated destruction of farmlands, harassment of women, and threats against villagers.
“We are farmers. That is our only source of survival. They destroy our crops daily,” he lamented.
Pa Erhiahwe said he refused the offer, choosing instead to defend the future of his people. Despite his rejection, the herders allegedly resorted to force in a bid to gain entry into the farmland. The community then reported the incident to the Isiokolo Police Division, which mediated a resolution. According to him, an undertaking was written, and the herdsmen agreed to vacate the area in April of the previous year.
However, the situation flared up again recently when the herders returned, this time accusing the community of stealing their cattle — a claim Pa Erhiahwe firmly dismissed as false and meant to provoke unrest.
Recalling the incident, he said, “As the community leader, they approached me to bribe me with cows and N10 million, but I refused and told them that this is our home; I cannot, because of greed, destroy it. I said that even if I am given a billion naira, I won’t accept it because where you are staying is where you must repair. After I refused, they tried to use force, and we insisted they must leave. After they left, they returned yet again. We went to the police in Isiokolo community because we thought it was time to involve them, and they wrote an undertaking to leave in April of last year.”
