Farmers at the Idege farmstead in Ado Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State, who primarily grow cassava and yam, have lamented the devastation of several hectares of farmlands by suspected herders.
The farmers claimed that the herders’ cattle, who were given free rein by the Fulani nomads, ran amok over several hectares of land, causing havoc on their farms.
Speaking to reporters in Ado Ekiti, one of the impacted farmers, Ibrahim, stated that the destruction had an effect on around thirty farmers in the area. He continued by saying that the herders had been a continual threat for the last two years, attacking labourers on their farms and seriously harming their harvests.
Ibrahim related a terrifying story from a few months ago in which he, his two brothers, and his son barely avoided serious injury after being attacked and beaten mercilessly by some herders. He emphasised the habit of the herders, who frequently killed calves nearby, of beating farmers and ruining their crops.
He declared, “We had reported them to the security agencies, but they had not taken any significant action against them, beating us and destroying our farms.” This has been with us for a very long time.
But there was a lot of damage going on right now. Aside from the devastation they caused on my brother-in-law’s farm, they destroyed more than 4,000 stacks of cassava on my farm alone. Thirty-plus of us were impacted.
On a few of the recently established yam farms, they brought out the seeds and chopped them for their cattle. In order to replant whenever the situation improves, several of us are currently taking the seeds out and storing them for safekeeping.
“They were uprooting the tubers to feed their animals, in addition to harming the cassava by devouring the leaves and stems. These were heartless deeds, and the government ought to have put some sort of check on them.
Our primary source of income and self-sufficiency is farming. We are being softly killed by these folks. They are demolishing our sources of subsistence in order to return us to a life of begging.
“We know how much we contribute to Ekiti’s achievement of food security from that axis, so it is time for the government to take action.”
In a cry for assistance, Jamiu asked Governor Biodun Oyebanji, Mr. Dare Ogundare, the Commissioner of Police for Ekiti Command, and Brig. Gen. Olu Adewa, the Commandant of the State Amotekun Corps, to step in and shield them from the needless damage occurring on their fields.
“We have often informed the Amotekun corps and the police about our predicament at Idege Farm, but it seems these vandals think they are beyond the law. Jamiu stated, “We cannot allow this condition to continue.
