Worried by the incessant attacks on farms and killings of farmers in Ondo state by herdsmen over grazing, the state government is proposing anti-grazing bill to curtail their menace.
Cases of destruction of farmlands, incessant attacks and killings of farmers and the rape of their wives and girl children in the last three weeks according to government was worrisome.
Speaking on the atrocities of the herdsmen in the state, the Senior Special Assistant to Ondo state governor on agriculture, Mr. Akin Olotu, said the menace of herdsmen is getting out of hands, saying no fewer than four farmers were killed in the last three weeks by the herdsmen.
Apart from this, Olotu said about ten hectares of cassava farmland was destroyed by the herdsmen and their cattle in Owo, Owo local government area of the state while some of the farmers were injured during the attack.
He said the activities of the herdsmen were not limited to a particular area in the state but across the state.
He said, “The state government is worried about this development. Though the herdsmen are doing their business, but they have been using their business to destroy other businesses.”
“The destruction of farmlands has been a source of concern to farmers in the state while those who are just embracing farming as a source of livelihood have been discouraged.”
“Farmers have lost a lot of money to these destructions, obtaining loans from bank to finance the projects without making profit, because of the herdsmen and their cattle. Farm produce cannot be stored in the barn any longer.”
He explained that ponds and apiary worth millions of Naira were destroyed by the cattle and the herdsmen saying the fishes were taken while the honey comb were badly harvested by the herdsmen.
He however said the state government is proposing anti-grazing bill to stem down the menace of the herdsmen while all herdsmen operating in the state and their cows would be registered with codes to identify them.
Olotu who advocated for the modern method of rearing cattle in the country called on security agencies and stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the frequent clashes between the herdsmen and farmers in the state.
It will be recalled that farmers from the Southern senatorial district of the state last weekend protested in Ore, in Odigbo local government area of Ondo over the ‘incessant’ killings of farmers by Fulani herdsmen.
The farmers’ protest followed the recent hacking to death of one of them, Orimisan Balogun, who challenged some herdsmen for destroying his farmland.
The protesters who called on the state government to check the activities of the herdsmen before they resolve taking laws into their hands.
However, the State police command has confirmed the arrest of some suspects in connection with the killing of the farmer.
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