Some strange millipedes have invaded some farming communities in the Sefwi Juaboso District of the Western Region, destroying crops and causing inconvenience to residents in the area.

The creatures, Daily Guide gathered, which produce some kind of toxic substance and have some foul smell have invaded communities such as Sefwi Bonsu Nkwanta, Proso, Africa, Helehele, Sergeant Nsiah, Kwadwo Krobo, Kyenkyenase and Addaekrom, all in the Juaboso District. A visit to some of the affected communities revealed that farmers were unable to go to work on their farms because of the invasion, while others were also seen protecting their compounds with regular sweeping.

Some of the farmers lamented that the invasion has become an annual ritual, explaining that they faced the same problem last year and appealed for help in order to find a lasting solution to the problem.

“It has been difficult to eliminate the creeping creatures as they come in thousands. Last year, for instance, two children were confirmed dead after purportedly eating some of the toxic millipedes,” the farmers asserted. Some of the residents also asserted that the millipedes have found their way into residents’ bedrooms, kitchens and toilets, creating inconvenience, especially in the mornings and in the evenings.

“The situation is very alarming, the creatures are just like millipedes but they are not millipedes in actual fact they are small in nature and they come in their thousands and they have covered over 90 percent of the households in Juaboso,” the people alleged.

They have, therefore, called on government to come to their aid and fumigate the area to rid it of the creatures.

The Director General of the National Disaster and Management Organisation (NADMO), Nana Agyemang Prempeh, who toured the affected areas, expressed shock at the level of invasion. He was worried the invasion could affect cocoa production in the area, and assured the people of government’s intervention to address the situation.

The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Juaboso, Martha Kwayie Manu, also described the invasion as alarming but assured the people of government’s support to find a lasting solution to the problem.