Residents of Orin Ekiti in the Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State on Wednesday protested alleged plot by suspected herdsmen to take over their community.
The placard-carrying protesting men and women, old and young Orin Ekiti indigenes, lamented that the invading herdsmen had allegedly vandalised farms worth N50m owned by 70 farmers.
Among inscriptions on the placards are, ‘Save Orin Ekiti from herdsmen invasion’, ‘Save our lives, we are in danger in Orin Ekiti’, ‘We are tired of molestation by herdsmen’, ‘We won’t allow Fulani to chase us from our land’ and ‘Government must relocate Fulani herdsmen’, among others.
The Onikare of Orin Ekiti, Chief Bamidele Fasuyi, alleged that the herdsmen, in addition to the occupation of the Orin Farm Settlement, which he said comprised over 2,500 acres of land, had destroyed crops planted there by farmers in the community.
Fasuyi said, “From our records, over 70 farmers were affected. Crops worth N50m have been ravaged. They ate up their products like cocoyam, yam, cassava and others and made them to incur debts.
“Several hectares of land had been destroyed. They operate at night with AK 47 rifles. What they want is to invade our land and chase us away. They even killed one of our able bodied men this year. They are imposing some curfew in this town, because our youths can’t go to farm freely and government has not been doing something.
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“We appeal to government to use the 2500 acres of land in the abandoned farm settlement for farming. The state and federal government as well as private bodies should come to our aid. There are facilities like electricity, buildings and equipment that can aid farming if they want to invest,” Fasuyi said.
Also addressing journalists, the Oniwaro of Orin Ekiti, Chief Mathew Oke, appealed to the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, to make good his promise to build a police station in the town and rejuvenate the farm settlement to ward off herdsmen invasion in the area.
According to residents, the herders allegedly killed a hunter and farmer in the community, Mr Emmanuel Ilori, some months ago and as well chased away the Benue farmers working in the town.
A youth leader, Mr Kayode Omotoso, appealed to the state governor to compensate the farmers in order not to frustrate them out of farming.
Omotoso alleged that the herders were not discreet with their plan to take over the community and its lands, saying they had allegedly hoisted a flag at the farm settlement to warn the farmers to keep off or face death.
He said, “They wrote ‘keep off’ with a picture of cattle rearer on the flag. This is a serious threat. The police, the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and soldiers removed the flag last year, but they have hoisted another one.
“We guard at night to ward off attacks because the police have found it difficult to arrest them. Our graduates who have no jobs are going into farming, but they are suffering losses because of destruction by cows.
“We appeal to Governor Fayemi to relocate them. They must vacate the place. From our findings, they access this place through neighbouring towns like Isan, Ayede, and Ido. If not checked, there will be famine in the land with the way things are going.”
