Farmers and Residents in Ikoyi-Ile, Orire Local Government of Oyo State have said that they might resolve to self-help if the Oyo State government fails to protect them from suspected herdsmen terrorising their community.
The farmers lamented that despite killing one of their members, raping their minors and destroying their farm land, herdsmen still continue terrorizing their community and villages, which is giving them a sleepless night.
The Babalaje of Agbe in Orire Local Government, Chief Oyekola Joseph, noted that farmers in the community were disturbed with all the happenings around the areas for the past eight years ago, calling on urgent intervention of the state government before the issue gets out of hands.
Oyekola, who is the Secretary of Idera Agbe Famers Association, Orire Local Government branch said “we don’t know what to do because if we take any step or revenge, it might lead to blood shied, we want the government to help us and take necessary steps because our king who is supposed to defend us has failed in his duties, he is now backing the Bororo against us.
“Herdsmen cut off hand of one of our workers working in farm, they destroyed our farm products, another farmer was matcheted on head while others injured, and two of our minors were also raped.
One of the victims, Usman Daudu whose farm produce was destroyed by the herders said that 20hecters of his farm land planted with maize, yam, tomatoes and tuber were destroyed by the herdsmen, and he was injured on head with cutlass while trying to chased them away
“They have not stopped the attack on our farm, we have pleaded with them several times, yet they didn’t yield to our plead, they are ‘bororo’ because the Fulani that was already on ground don’t used to have issue with us.
Another victim, Dominic Gbegbi, said that he was matcheted fourteen (14) times while trying to pursue the herders who invaded his farm with their cows and destroyed his farm produce
Meanwhile, the Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ile, Oba Abdul-Yekeen Atilola Oladipupo said that he had been trying his best to bring a peaceful coexistence between the farmers and herders in the area, adding that farmers/herders issue is not limited to the area, but everywhere
According to him, “We have tried to resolve the issue many times because it’s 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 to it, but it seems my effort wasn’t enough, so we need government’s intervention on the matter.
“I’ve had series of meeting with all the baales around me to find solution to the issue, infact, I even had meetings with the Assistant Inspector General of Police, in Osogbo together with the commissioner of Police, and the Police assured me to come to our aids.
The monarch however called on the Oyo State governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, the Oyo State House of Assembly and Security Agencies to come to the aids of his people before the issue degenerates to something else because he didn’t want blood shied again in the town.
Ikoyi-Ile is an ancient town in Orire Local Government of Oyo State that is surrounded with 674 villages like Olode-Elelu, Animashaun village, Obamo village, Igboayin, and Laomi village among others.
