Bamgbola Gbolagunte, Akure
Farmers in Ondo State are not finding it easy as a result of the activities of Fulani herdsmen and their cattle. The farmers no longer sleep with their two eyes closed as herdsmen daily invade their farms.
This has negatively affected peace in parts of the state especially, Akure the capital. In Akure South Local Government, the area has arable land good for farming, but the activities of the herdsmen are posing a serious challenge to its farming activities.
Recently, the herdsmen invaded the farm of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Chief Olu Falae in Ilado, a suburb of Akure and killed one of the security guards on the farm. The same herdsmen were alleged to be responsible for the abduction of Falae some months earlier.
Also, herdsmen penultimate week allegedly invaded Akinroye farm in the same local government, with over 200 acres of farmland destroyed by their cattle. The situation caused serious crisis in the area but for the timely intervention of the police. A woman working on the farm was killed.
The situation prompted the farmers to demonstrate to the palace of the Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladewusi, and peaceful protest round major streets to condemn the activities of the herdsmen.
They lamented the incessant invasion of their farms by the herdsmen claiming alleged that millions of naira were lost to the destruction.
The farmers listed some of the farm produces destroyed to include cassava, cocoyams, yams and vegetables while some parts of cocoa farm were also set on fire. Justice Michael Omoyemi who spoke on behalf of the farmers traced the genesis of the invasion to December 2016:
“The herdsmen returned last December destroying over 5,000 heaps of cassava in my farm. They took the advantage of Christmas break, brought their cattle and uprooted the cassava to feed their cows. We reported the herdsmen to the security agents in the past and to the Deji of Akure, who promised to wade into the matter.
“The herdsmen are determined to send the farmers out of their farms in the South West unless steps are taken by the concerned authorities, hence it will degenerate to ethnic clash in the region.”
He said with the incessant invasion of herdsmen on farms in the area, “people will be sent out of the farm and this will affect food production in the South West. Some people depend on farming while some people are destroying these farms, this will not encourage farming. Most of these people here depend on the farm produce to cater for their family and send their children to school.”
Owoyemi disclosed that the farmers had petitioned Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, security agencies and the Ministry of Agriculture to intimate them on the havoc wreck on their farms.
Another farmer, Victory Oweh, said he lost over 10 acres of farmland to the herdsmen and their cows, saying the herdsmen also set his farm on fire after destroying it:
“We are just respecting the laws of the land and trying not to take laws into our hands. We have been reporting them to the security agents with no positive results.
“I cannot imagine working all through the year and some herdsmen and their cattle will invade the farms to destroy all my labour in just one day. Ondo State Government should follow the steps taken by the Ekiti State Government by enacting laws to curb the activities of the herdsmen. We are calling on government and security agents before taking laws into our hands.”
He explained that one of the farmers, Patience Salami, was killed on her farm by the herdsmen some three weeks ago, and no arrest was made to bring the perpetrators to book.
However, government insisted that it would not prohibit cattle rearing in the state but regulate the activities of Fulani herdsmen and their cattle to ensure peaceful co-existence of farmers and the herdsmen. Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Agriculture and mineral Resources Matters, Mr. Akin Olotu:
“We are ready to find a lasting solution to the unabated crises between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in the state which, have assumed a frightening dimension in the last few weeks. We are not going to prohibit cattle rearing in Ondo State we are going to regulate it.
“It is not a crime to rear or own cattle in any part of the state, but it has to be done legitimately.
It has to be done in such a way that someone’s business is not used to destroy another person’s business. What we will have is cattle rearing regulation in which case there will be dos and don’ts.” he stressed.