A farmer in Igangan, Ibarapa North-West Local Council
Development Area of Oyo State, has narrated how Fulani herdsmen invaded his
cassava farm and destroyed his produce.
According to Akintola Olusola, his protest was met with
anger as the herders repeatedly macheted and beat him up.
Speaking in video clips seen, Akintola said
the incident occurred on October 15, 2018 while he and his workers harvested
cassava on his 30-hectare farm.
“If not for the grace of God and the backing of our ancestors, I would have lost my life,” the farmer in his mid 40s said.
“I was on my farm on October 15, 2018 harvesting cassava
with my workers. My farm is about 30 hectares. We had loaded five trucks but
still had some cassava on ground to move to town. So, we decided that one of
the trucks would come back to move the remaining cassava. I stayed behind
waiting for the truck to return.
“Around 4pm, the herders came with scores of cattle. I told
them not to go into the part of the farm with the fresh harvest but they
insisted that their cattle would feed on the just-harvested cassava.
“They brought out machetes and swords when I resisted them.
I thought it was all a joke but they started macheting me. I was the only one
on the farm but God did not allow their machetes and swords to penetrate my
body.
“When they saw that their machetes and swords didn’t
penetrate my body, they hit me with their sticks. I ran to the main road and
mounted a bike home,” he said.
Akintola said he reported the case at Igangan Police Post
but the policemen on duty asked him to first go to the hospital for treatment.
The farmer said he was shocked that there were no arrests
two days later; adding that he then informed the secretary of the farmers
association in Igangan who filed a petition at the area command office accusing
the herders of attempted murder.
“The policemen at the area command office agreed to arrest
the herders. Three policemen came the Tuesday after and I took them to the
settlement of the Fulani herders. I also pointed out the herders who wanted to
kill me but the police officers were unable to arrest them because other
herders resisted and attacked the policemen with cutlasses.
“The area commander later asked the Seriki Fulani to produce
the herders but he didn’t,” he added.
Akintola further said, “I and other farmers approached the
Inspector General of Police Squad in Ibadan to get justice. They came to
Igangan but they were unable to arrest them (herders) because the Fulani people
said the herders had gone to Republic of Benin. That was how the case died.
“I want to implore all Yoruba people to come to our aid. The
Federal and State governments say we should return to our farmlands but how
safe are our lives on the farms? We have lands but the Fulani herders are our
problem.”
A popular Yoruba rights
activist, Sunday Adeyemo, well known as Sunday Igboho, asked herdsmen accused
of perpetrating sundry crimes in Ibarapaland to leave within seven days.
At the expiration of the ultimatum, Igangan residents,
emboldened by Igboho’s presence had ejected the Seriki Fulani, Abdulkadri
Saliu, and his herders out of the rustic town.
The residents of the town also vowed never to allow Saliu
and his men return to the community.
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