Herdsmen destroying our multi-million naira farm crops —Ekiti farmers cry for help

‘YOMI AYELESO reports that some farmers in Ekiti state are counting their losses following the latest attacks by criminal herdsmen on their farmlands, destroying multi-million naira crops and plantations.

I came from Abuja after working with a private company to set up this farm in Ekiti State for my future. I raised money from my savings and also borrowings and loans from individuals and organizations, to invest in the plantain farm, with the hope that after harvest , I will sell the crops to pay back. Everything amounts to almost two million naira.

“These herdsmen stormed the farm late in the night  and destroyed the crops feeding them to their cows; this has been happening consistently for years.

“I am already in serious debt now and I plead with the government and other private individuals to come to our aid, especially in recovering what I have lost in the farms.

“I set up the farm to raise money to send my children to school because I know where I was working cannot sustain me for long. People will be saying that youths are lazy but you can see what has happened.

“Where will I start from now? I have cried for help but nothing was done. This is too much and these herdsmen are everywhere in the Edemo farm

“ I am interested in farming and that is why I left where I was working in Abuja to come home but it is sad that this is what we are facing. I want to go to the farm but I need help from the government, especially in the area of security.”

The above are the words of one of the affected farmers, Olatunde Solomon who lamented the impact of the herdsmen activities in his two-hectare Edemo farmland. He told our correspondent that the incident occurred between March 2 and March 3, saying that his plantain crops preparing for harvesting were completely destroyed.

He disclosed that having worked for years with a private company in Abuja, he retired home to the state with his savings and loans to invest in the farming business, which he said has been destroyed.

Solomon added that over the years the activities of the criminal herders across major farms in the area have been disturbing, saying all efforts to address the situation by reporting to security agencies have failed.

Solomon and many other farmers in Ekiti State are counting their losses following the activities of herders with their cattle in the farms.

In the last few weeks, farmlands and crops worth millions of naira have been destroyed by herdsmen, apparently to feed their cows. While the incidents of farmland destruction in the state have been recurring, the latest incidents have raised concerns among stakeholders especially farmers and the entire citizens.

The economic situations in the country, especially the rising cost of food items have necessitated the agitations for people to take agriculture seriously but the threat of attacks by herdsmen has further exposed the need for the government to fashion out ways of securing the farm and the farmers from activities of the criminal elements.

In January,  the state witnessed deadly attacks from gunmen which resulted in the killing of two prominent traditional rulers. The Elesun of Esun Ekiti, Oba David Babatunde Ogunsakin and the Olumojo of Imojo-Ekiti, Oba Samuel Olatunde Olusola were attacked and killed. The Alara of Ara (Ikole),Oba Sunday Adebayo Fatoba, narrowly escaped the murderous attack.

Also, nine pupils and teachers of the Apostolic Faith Group of School, Emure-Ekiti were kidnapped and were released five days later after payment of ransom, while the driver of the school bus was shut dead.

Mostly affected in the recent attacks were farmers in Ikere-Ekiti, headquarters of Ikere Local Government Area and Ise-Ekiti, Ise-Orun Local Government Area in the state.

The state government under the administration of Biodun Oyebanji in the last one and half years in the saddle has put in place measures, especially the setting up of the Farmers/Herders Peace Committee to curtail the crisis across farms in the state.

While the government’s efforts might have achieved some level of success the recent surge in the destruction and attacks on farms by herdsmen across the state call for more deliberate and actionable plans to salvage the situation for peaceful farming activities.

Another farmer, who identified himself as Bayo Akindele lamented that his cassava, yam and other crops in his over two-hectare farmland was destroyed by the herdsmen to feed their cows.

The 46-year-old farmer said the farm located in Ona Omola, Ise road in Ikere-Ekiti has in the last few months faced a series of attacks from the herders, adding that all efforts to stop them have not been successful.

He said,” Last year, they destroyed my maize and now this time around my yam and cassava crops on the farm were destroyed by these people.

“I have an investment of about N1.8 million on the farm and they are all gone, I don’t know where to start from now; these attacks are getting too many and worrisome.

“I want the government to help and save my family from impending hunger due to my loss on the farm. I want them to assist me to recover my losses at least to start something back again.”

Akindele noted that the government should work with the locals in providing security in the farms, saying that farmers would be encouraged to go to farm if they know their lives and crops are safe.

“After all these attacks, when we report to the police, they tell us their work is not in the bush but in the town. We have been reporting to Amotekun but you know they can’t really do much because of the lack of firearms to confront these criminals.

“If truly governments at all levels are ready to solve the issue of food crisis, then they know what to do for us to produce more food for our people. Security must be guaranteed and you see us embracing farming full time.

“If all of us are just staying at home, things will be too hard and difficult and if after working on our farms for a year, herdsmen will just come and destroy them, it is that bad,” he said.

Speaking on the impact of the recurring attacks on farmlands in the state, the chairman of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Ekiti, Adebola Alagbada lamented that governments have not done enough to provide adequate security to farmers.

According to him, “ It appears that the government’s efforts on providing security are mere rhetoric; We are yet to see actions. These attacks are really affecting us, you can imagine people with five to twenty hectares of cocoyam, cassava, plantain farms and they were destroyed, it is unfortunate.

“We have been crying for help but we are not getting the expected response from the government. They said we should go back to the farm , but the enabling environment for us to go back to the farm is not provided.

“If people should get loans from cooperatives and other sources to invest in the farms and they are destroyed by herders, that is not encouraging and something must be done. The government knows what to do.”

The chairman of the Ekiti State Chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Mohammadu Nasamu who said those destroying farmlands are not members of the association, said he would do everything to engender peaceful relationship among herders and farmers in the state.

He assured the stakeholders that he would continue to sensitize members of his association on the need to go about their business of cattle rearing without constituting threats to the survival of farmers.

The lawmaker representing Ikere Constituency Two in the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Honourable Tunde Idowu called for intervention from the state, federal governments and other stakeholders to rescue his community from the incessant attacks by criminal herders on farm lands.

The lawmaker said, “ I was deeply touched and emotionally disorganised by the ugly activities of the herders and cattle rustlers in my constituency. It has been persistent and now become unbearable for us in the last few weeks.

“These Fulani herders have carried out series of terrible destruction on our farmlands. Important plantations such as Banana, Casava, Yam and Cocoa farms were burnt.”

While commending the governor, Biodun Oyebanji and the two council chairmen in Ikere for their swift actions to address the situation, he called on the security agencies to coalesce efforts towards putting an end to the persistent attacks and destruction of farmlands.

In what could be described as a direct response to the series of destruction of farmlands, the state government this week conveyed a peace meeting of the recently inaugurated Farmers/Herders Peace Committee. The meeting was attended by stakeholders including security agencies, farmers, leadership of Miyetti Allah and government officials.

Speaking at the meeting, the Special Adviser to the governor on Security Matters, Brigadier General  Ebenezer Ogundana (retd) who expressed deep concerns over the reported destruction of crops, and farmlands, reiterated the ban on open cattle grazing, especially in the night across the 16 Local Government Areas of the state.

Ogundana, who is the chairman of the committee, said that anybody caught contravening any section of the “Prohibition of Cattle and Other Ruminants Grazing in Ekiti State Law, 2016” would be prosecuted.

Noting that the state was blessed with comparative advantage for self-sustenance in food and animal production, he stressed that nothing would be allowed to jeopardize the peaceful co-existence of all stakeholders.

He recalled that section 2, subsection 3 and 4 of the Grazing law specifically stated that “no cattle or other ruminants shall by any means move or graze at night” adding that “Cattle movement and grazing are restricted to the hours between 7:00 am and 6:00 pm.”

According to him, “section 4, subsection 1 to 3 expressly stated that “any herdsmen found in possession of firearms and other offensive weapons shall be charged with terrorism. Any confiscated cattle shall be taken to Government cattle ranches at Erinfun, Iworoko and any other designated areas as may be directed” and “any property or farm products destroyed by the cattle shall be valued by the agricultural officers and made to be paid for by the herdsmen.”

He said that “under the first amendment of 2018, it was added in section 2 (1) (c) that any unregistered herdsman who commits a crime within the State shall on conviction be liable to five (5) years imprisonment while section 2 (1) (d) states that any person within the State who harbours, aids or assist an unregistered herdsman to graze on any land in Ekiti State shall, on conviction, be liable to two (2) years imprisonment and Section 2 (1) (e) states that any person who intentionally kills any cattle within the State out of vengeance shall, on conviction be liable to one (1) year imprisonment.”

The governor’s aide emphasized the need to curb any form of threat of insecurity and wanton damage of farms capable of driving farmers away from their farms and causing food shortage.

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