Farmers protest over attacks by suspected herdsmen
Thu Jan 30, 2020 10:08:am National
1.3K By Afam Jude Offor
According to the farmers, the suspected herdsmen are responsible for the loss of crops worth millions of Naira. Farmers in Ogun, on Wednesday, January 29, 2020, took to the streets to protest alleged attacks on them by suspected herdsmen.
The Nation reports that the farmers who marched in large numbers, decried that the attacks in their communities have led to destruction of their crops by grazing cattle. The farmers who were from 12 villages at Oja Odan community and its environs in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun, marched to the palace of the monarch, the Eselu of Iseluland, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi. During the protest, one of the farmers alleged that the suspected herdsmen were responsible for the death of one of them, who was killed last week. The farmers further alleged that they had lost millions of Naira in crops to the over 8,000 herds of cattle that routinely grazed on their farms, devouring their crops and trampling down on others, as they moved indiscriminately from one end to the other. Speaking on behalf of the farmers at the palace of the monarch, the Jagun Oba of Iseluland, Chief Festus Olabode Aina, said the herdsmen were intruders from Republic of Niger and Chad; having being chased out of the Republic of Benin, they (the suspected herdsmen) moved into Ogun villages and took over the farms. Aina urged Oba Akinyemi to convey their plight to the state and federal government to rescue them and drive away the herdsmen, fearing that there could be bloodshed as witnessed in 2007, should the “peace loving villagers’ patience” thin out and give way in self defence to direct confrontation with the herdsmen.
The Nation reports that the farmers who marched in large numbers, decried that the attacks in their communities have led to destruction of their crops by grazing cattle. The farmers who were from 12 villages at Oja Odan community and its environs in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun, marched to the palace of the monarch, the Eselu of Iseluland, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi. During the protest, one of the farmers alleged that the suspected herdsmen were responsible for the death of one of them, who was killed last week. The farmers further alleged that they had lost millions of Naira in crops to the over 8,000 herds of cattle that routinely grazed on their farms, devouring their crops and trampling down on others, as they moved indiscriminately from one end to the other. Speaking on behalf of the farmers at the palace of the monarch, the Jagun Oba of Iseluland, Chief Festus Olabode Aina, said the herdsmen were intruders from Republic of Niger and Chad; having being chased out of the Republic of Benin, they (the suspected herdsmen) moved into Ogun villages and took over the farms. Aina urged Oba Akinyemi to convey their plight to the state and federal government to rescue them and drive away the herdsmen, fearing that there could be bloodshed as witnessed in 2007, should the “peace loving villagers’ patience” thin out and give way in self defence to direct confrontation with the herdsmen.
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