Suspected herders kill woman, destroy farmlands in Akure

By Temitope Adedeji

 

Akure

Akure, the Ondo state capital was yesterday thrown into apprehension and tears following the gruesome killing of a woman in her farm while over 200 hectares of farm lands and crops were destroyed by suspected herdsmen invasion in Arodoye community in Akure South local government area of the state.
The affected farmers, who lamented the incessant invasion of the herdsmen on their farms, said millions of naira worth of farm produce, including cassava, cocoa, yams, vegetables and rice, were lost to the invasion, saying some parts of their cocoa farms were set on fi re by the invading herdsmen.
Speaking on behalf of the farmers, Justice Michael Omoyemi, traced the genesis of the invasion to December, 2016 when the herdsmen harvested most of the farm produce during the Christmas /New Year break.
He said “the herdsmen also returned last December, destroying over 5,000 heaps of cassava in my farm.
They took the advantage of the break and brought their cattle and uprooted the cassava to feed their cows.
“We have reported the herdsmen to the security agents in the past and also to the traditional ruler of Akure, Deji of Akureland, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo, who promised to wade into the matter.
” According to him, “The herdsmen are determined to send the farmers out of the farm in the South West unless steps are taken by the concerned authorities, hence it will degenerate to ethnic clashes.
What they have destroyed in a twinkle of an eye is worth millions of Naira.
” Also speaking, one of the farmers, Victory Oweh, said he lost over ten acres to the herdsmen and their cows, saying the herdsmen also set his farm on fi re after destroying it.
He said, “We are just respecting the law 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.
” He disclosed that he voluntarily resigned from office some two years ago to embrace farming, but said the incessant invasion on his farm has set him backwards.
He explained that, one of the farmers, Patience Salami, was killed on her farm by the herdsmen some three weeks ago, and so far, no arrest was made to bring the perpetrators to book.

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