Farmers in Ondo State at the weekend lamented the persistent attacks of Fulani herdsmen on their farmlands.
They made their grievances known at an interactive session with stakeholders on Community Policing partnership held in Akure, the state capital.
The event was attended by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Solomon Arise, the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 11, AIG Kalafite Helen Adeyemi and the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mike Ogbodu.
Some of the farmers had earlier spoken to reporters, narrating their ordeal in the hands of these herdsmen, saying the consistent attack of the fulanis on their crops such as rice, maize, vegetable and cocoa plantation had reduced their efforts to nothing.
It would be recalled that a prominent leader and former Secretary to the Government of Federation [SGF], Chief Olu Falae was last year September kidnapped by the herdmen and a N5million ransom was paid before he was released.
A farmer, Sunday Owoseni said they thought the condemnation of Falae’s abduction by various stakeholders across the country would help in reducing the attacks on their farmland but the reverse was the case.
Also, a female farmer from Ebonyi State, Mrs Ngozi Ogbonna who became a widow few years ago with eight children, lamented that she secured loan of about 1.5 million naira from Micro finance bank to cultivate cassava and rice farms using irrigation at Ogbese community in Akure North local government, only for Fulani herdsmen to destroy it and that all efforts to get them arrested had been frustrated by the police.
However, Chief Bolanle Olujoka, who claimed to be one of the executives of Farmers’ Association in the state, narrated an incident in his area where Fulani herdmen attacked a farmer and the farmer called the police to arrest the herdsmen.
He alleged that the police later detained the farmer and some chiefs in that community.
Meanwhile, the IGP, Solomon Arase said they were working on how to put a stop to the attacks of herdmen, saying it was part of the issues he discussed with Ondo State Governor, Olusegun Mimiko when he earlier met him.
He said “I have taken suggestions about how we can develop big ranches so that we they can stop grazing on farmlands.
“We should also know about the history of migration. Most of these herdmen are not Nigerians. They are people from Mali, Chad, into our system, so that is why we have to be very careful. Our borders are very porous. Predominantly our own herdmen are law abiding people.
“But when people come from outside with their cattle, we intend to because of ECOWAS protocols, good neigbourliness, we should not deny them entry but at the same time we should not allow them to embark on criminal activities.”
Comments