Ondo Monarch raises alarm over destruction of farmlands by herdsmen

A traditional ruler ,the Apakinsa of Ipinsa in Akure south local government area of Ondo state, Oba Omoniyi Olufunmilayo has raised alarm over invasion of farmlands and destruction of crops by suspected herdsmen in his community.

Speaking with ROVING REPORTERS, Oba Olufunmilayo lamented that many farmers at Ipinsa have been counting their losses over the atrocities committed by the herdsmen.

According to him, all efforts made to address the excesses of the herdsmen who now rare cows in the midnight with the intentions of eating up farm crops and stealing have not yielded any result.

He urged the ondo state governor, Mr Oluwarotimi Akeredolu to urgently deploy the southwest security outfit known as, Operation Amotekun to all local government for proper monitoring so as to curb the excesses of herdsmen in the state.

For the past three to four years ,i have been calling on the authority and the police to caution the fulani herdsmen because of the atrocities they committed at Ipinsa by destroying farm produce if my people, but there was nothing they did. We couldn’t see any action from them.

Many farms have been destroyed by this people and crops such as yam ,maize and cassava worth millions of Naira have been destroyed by the herdsmen .

Personally, i don’t want to see them in my community anymore. They will commit atrocities and run away.

There was a certain time I summoned their leader, Garba Bello and damages were paid to the affected farmers,yet they still invade farmlands and i don’t want them again.

They have been invading farms with their cows at night when everyone must have slept to perpetrate their evil work.

There was a time they came with their people to settle at Ipinsa, i have to chase them back that very night.”

He urged the ondo state governor to urgently deploy the southwest security outfit known as, Operation Amotekun to all local government for proper monitoring so as to curb the excesses of herdsmen in the state.

One of the affected farmers, Mr Sunday Fasakin who lamented that all his last year efforts were in vain recounted how his cocoyam and yam farms of three hectares worth thousands of naira were destroyed by the herdsmen.

Mr Fasakin also called on the government to address the ugly development to avoid reprisal attack from the people of the community.

He said “my cassava farm was also destroyed by the herdsmen and they operate at nights with traces of cow foot.

“Farm crops such plantains, cocoyam and yam are also stolen by the headsmen and people don’t want reprisal attacks so as to avoid crisis. Even farm produce of a civil defense officer in the community have been eaten up by their cows.

They were in 2018 arrested and their leaders promised that such will not recur but they still persist in eating our farm produce. Government should act fast before this goes out of hand.”