Men suspected to be herders have chopped off the hand of a farmer in Ikoyi-Ile, an agrarian community in Orire local government area of Oyo State.
The herdsmen also allegedly raped two ladies and destroyed farmlands, according to Secretary of Idera Agbe Farmers Association in the council, Chief Joseph Oyekola.
Ikoyi-Ile, an agrarian community, is near Ogbomoso.
Recounting their ordeal in the hands of the violent herdsmen, the farmers threatened to resort to self-help should security agencies fail to protect them from incessant attacks
Oyekola, who doubles as the Babalaje Agbe in the local government, said: “We don’t know what to do because if we take any step or revenge, it might lead to bloodshed.
“Herdsmen cut off the hand of one of our workers working on the farm, they destroyed our farm products.
“Another farmer was matcheted on the head while others were injured, and two of our minors were also raped.”
One of the victims, Dominic Gbegbi, said he was matcheted 14 times while trying to pursue the herders who invaded his farm with their cows.
Another victim, Usman Daudu, whose farm products were also allegedly destroyed by the herders, said 20 hectares of his farmland planted with maize, yam and tomatoes, were destroyed by the herdsmen.
He said: “They have not stopped the attack on our farm, we have pleaded with them several times yet they didn’t yield to our plea. They are ‘Bororo’ Fulani because the Fulani that have been living with us never had any issue with us.”
Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ile, Oba Abdul-Yekeen Oladipupo, said that he has been trying his best to facilitate peaceful coexistence between the farmers and herders in the area.
He said farmers/herders clashes are not limited to the area.
“We have tried to resolve the issue many times because it is difficult to separate farmers and herders. We have been living together for a while.
“I have taken a lot of steps in the matter so as to find a lasting solution to it but it seems my efforts are not sufficient to achieve the goal. So, we need government intervention in the matter.
“I’ve had series of meetings with all the Baales (family heads) around me to find solution to the issue. In fact, I even had meetings with the Assistant Inspector General of Police (Zone 11) in Osogbo together with the Commissioner of Police, and the police assured of coming to our aid.”
The monarch called on Oyo Governor Seyi Makinde, House of Assembly and security agencies to come to the aid of his people before the issue degenerates, stating he does not want bloodshed again in the town.
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