Ondo govt diffuses tension as cows allegedly destroy N265m crops

A brewing crisis between herders and farmers in Igbara-Oke, Ifedore Local Council of Ondo State has been diffused by the state government, following the alleged destruction of crops worth N265 million by cows on a farmland, managed by the Owena Dam Farmers Association.

With tension rising over the development, the aggrieved farmers had accused the herders of deliberately allowing their cattle to graze indiscriminately on farmland, which resulted in the purported destruction of 25 per cent of the farmlands.

Following the development, the Amotekun Corps in the state quickly summoned the herders and farmers to its headquarters.

While stressing the importance of peaceful coexistence during the meeting, the Commander of Amotekun in the state, Adetunji Adeleye, reaffirmed the government’s directive to enforce the anti-open grazing law.

According to Adeleye, who refuted accusations that Amotekun had unjustly targeted herders, explained that measures employed by the corps, including the detention of herders and their cattle, were lawful, and intended to facilitate dialogue between parties.

He said: “No individual is above the law. Our agency is tasked with ensuring compliance with government policies, particularly concerning open grazing. We operate within the law, and do not tolerate false narratives aimed at inciting conflict.

“We’ve sought court orders to detain herders and cattle temporarily, while discussions are ongoing. Our priority is to restore normalcy. I’ve equally told the farmers they must not attack the cows, so that at least, let everybody live within the ambit of what he is doing. So, the meeting we held here across board is aimed at bringing a solution.”

On his part, Special Assistant to the Governor on Hausa Matters, Gonia Garuba, who appealed to both parties to allow peace reign, stated: “Amotekun gave us security to the location where we saw heavy destruction of farmland that is not palatable to anyone. We have been ensuring there is peace because the government wants peace to reign.”

Vice Chairman of Owena Dam Farmers Association, Daudu Igbekele, lamented the scale of destruction and impact on farmers’ livelihoods.

Representatives of Miyetti Allah, the herders’ association, denied allegations of deliberate crop destruction, stressing that their cattle had mistakenly strayed.