It has been tale of woes for farmers in Oke Ogun area of Oyo State as suspected Fulani/ Bororo herdsmen attacks and destruction of lives and hectares of farmlands continue unabated. The cries of residents of the agrarian community have reached high heavens but the incessant attacks have remained a permanent pain.
An unidentified woman, whose farm has allegedly been completely destroyed by herdsmen and their cattle, tore her dress when she discovered the farm she took a loan of N500, 000 to cultivate is gone. According to Vanguard,she was heard saying,
“My God, what am I seeing? Is this my farm or not. People around, please, help me. I want someone to tell me that this is not the farm I took N500, 000 loan to cultivate. Where are my cassava and maize farms? Eight-acre farm? Imouru has killed me. He first destroyed my maize farm and I accepted my fate with the hope of cushioning the effects of the loss by the profit I get from cassava. Now, see what he has done. I will die.”
The farmers accused the traditional ruler of Igangan, the Asigangan of Igangan, Oba Lasisi Olawuyi Adeoye, JP, of harbouring Bororo men.
The two phone numbers of the monarch did not connect after several efforts to reach him. But while reacting to the allegations, the Seriki Fulani in the area, Alhaji Salihu Kabiru, said,
“I cannot confirm that their (natives) farms were destroyed by Fulani/Bororo. They invited a policeman who came to arrest a Fulani man and the Fulani man said he did not destroy the farms. “From the information I got, I learnt that a crisis broke out between two factions of Yoruba people and, in the process, the man called Olalere was killed. “Only two weeks ago, they caught a 12-year-old Fulani/Bororo girl and tied her to a tree where she eventually died. I suspect they even raped her. Nobody is talking about that. As I speak, the two men arrested in connection with the killing of the girl are with the police at Iyaganku, Ibadan. If you are in doubt, the police will tell you. In the case of Olalere, the police are already aware”.
The Public Relations Officer of Oyo State Police Command, SP Adekunle Ajisebutu, said he would get back to Sunday Vanguard as soon as he got information on the incident.
Emeh Achanga,the CEO of the Miss Petite Nigeria Brand is a lawyer turned blogger. She is very passionate about writing, with several publications and awards to her credit .She is currently working on publishing a collection of short stories which are basically a memoir about her exciting true experiences.
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