By Oluwakemi Ishola
A group of farmers in Ikoyi-Ile in Orire Local Council Area of Oyo State have raised alarm over alleged fresh hostilities by Bororo herders. They tasked the Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde, to intervene before the situation gets out of hand.
The farmers, through their representative, Babalaje of Agbe, Chief Oyekola Joseph, alleged that there have been repeated attacks calling for urgent intervention of the state government before the issue gets out of control.Oyekola, who is the secretary of Idera Agbe Farmers Association, Orire local government branch said “we don’t know what to do because if we revenge, it might lead to bloodshed. We want the government to help us.
They accused a monarch in the area of collusion with the herders.
“Herders cut offhand of one of our workers working on the farm, they destroyed our farm produce. Another farmer was attacked with matchet and two of our minors were also raped.”
One of the victims, Usman Daudu whose farm produce was destroyed by the herders said that 20 hectares of his farmland where he planted maize, yams, tomatoes were destroyed.”“They have not stopped the attack on our farm. We have pleaded with them several times yet they didn’t yield. They are ‘Bororo’ because our Fulani neighbours are not violent”.
Another victim, Dominic Gbegbi, claimed that the herders inflicted machete cuts in him while trying to challenge the herders who invaded his farm with their cows.”
Meanwhile, the Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ile, Oba Abdul-Yekeen Atilola Oladipupo said that he had made several futile attempts to ensure peaceful coexistence between the farmers and herders in the area.According to him, “We have tried to resolve the issue many times but it is difficult to separate farmers and herders. We have been living together for a while. I have taken a lot of steps on the matter so as to find a lasting solution, but it seems my efforts were not fruitful.
“I have had a series of meetings with all the community leaders around me. In fact, I even had meetings with the Assistant Inspector General of Police in Osogbo together with the Commissioner of Police, and they assured me that peace would reign”.
