DEBO ADEOYE, SOUTHWEST
There was a mild drama and confusion Friday at Ijare town in IFEDORE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA of ONDO STATE as community chiefs led youths of the town to chase away fulani herdsmen who have been causing problems for the community.
The herdsmen however left their cows behind and ran for their lives.
A source at Ijare town who spoke with the Journalists said the incident occurred after warnings have been given to the herdsmen by the community on the need for them to leave Ijare town following destruction of many farmlands by their cows.
It was gathered that the herdsmen refused to leave but went far into distant place to rare their cows, a development that the community leaders were not comfortable with.
Reports says the youths of the community traced the herdsmen to the grazing fields, on sighting seen the youths , the herdsmen took to their heels, leaving their cows behind.
The cows that are almost hundred were later led to the palace of OLUJARE OF IJARE, OBA OLUWAGBEMIGUN for safety.
The source said “ they have been adamant and it was high time they left. We didn’t harm them but we were surprised the way they ran away like being chased by a lion.
“They have been destroying our farms and we could no longer condone such losses again.
“We don’t have problem with them but we don’t want them and their cows in Ijare anymore.
It would be recalled that thunderstorm killed many cows in Ijare town last year.
In a related development 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.
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 rear 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.
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.
