The Regent of Oke Ako in Ekiti State, Princess Tinuade Ogunbiyi, has lamented the ugly atrocities allegedly being carried out by Fulani herdsmen against their farms and produce, describing it as barbaric.
She also called for urgent intervention of the government to rescue the community free acute hunger and starvation.
The regent stated this in an Interview extracted from Punch Newspaper on Monday.
She hinted that the farmers in the agrarian community can no longer go to their farms while many people, for security reasons, are leaving for other communities following the destructive activities of Fulani herdsmen in the area.
The female regent who took charge of office after her late father said, the alleged perpetrators started friendly with the host community but later turn beast after some years of accommodating them with the view that we are all one Nigerian. Initially, they are welcome to foster and promote peaceful co-existence and strived for the unity, while their company now, posed a danger to lives.
Princess Tinuade said, ‘They destroy our farms with their animals and at the same time, they do not allow our people, who are predominantly farmers, continue their farming activities on the farms. There was a time they came to town, attacked our people and killed two persons. These are some of the problems that they cause’. They consistently destroy farms and produce.”
She further explained that the source of attraction to their community is mainly the dams because they have five dams constructed by Oodua Investment in the Chief Obafemi Awolowo days. She said during the dry season, when there is no water around for their cows, they would be only in Oke Ako that they can get water, so they will come for the water. They come from far and near to get water here. They come from even Kogi State to get water for their cattle.
While concluding her lamentation, the regent explained the social, physical and economical implication of the herdsmen atrocities in their community that, “Our farmers no longer have farm produce as it used to be. Before, our people produced agricultural products in large quantities. They were harvesting yam in bulk, but now, we no longer have enough to eat, there is no yam to sell again. When our people cultivate their lands and plant there, the herders would take their cattle there to destroy them. Even, Ebira farmers are leaving to look for where they can get farmland to do their own activities in peace. Again, they threaten the lives of people when they come to town by carrying guns and machetes around.”