Farmers in Saki, Iseyin, Tede and other communities in Oke-Ogun region of Oyo State have alleged that for four years, they have witnessed decline in food production due to the activities of herdsmen whose cattle ravage their farmlands. Angered by this development, the farmers have threatened to abandon farming since the authorities have failed to call the herdsmen to order. YINKA ADENIRAN writes that the government has initiated several peace meetings in a bid to quell the unsavoury situation.
For years, the relationship among herders and farmers in Oke-Ogun communities of Oyo State has been affable. Regrettably, it has gone awry. No thanks to the hostility among the herders and farmers.
This is so because the farmers have alleged that they have been experiencing unbridled destruction of their crops by the Fulani-Bororo herdsmen who reside in their communities.
Farmers in Oke-Ogun communities have alleged that for four years now, they have witnessed decline in food production because of the activities of the herdsmen whose cattle often ravage their farmlands in the night. They accused the herders of feeding their animals with the produce from their farmlands.
Angered by this development, farmers in Saki, Iseyin, Tede and the entire Oke-Ogun region have threatened to abandon farming since the authorities have failed to stop the activities of the herdsmen who destroy their farm produce. They also said they are discouraged to continue farming since it has become a failed venture.
Farmers’ pains and loss
The most worrisome aspect of the tale is that the farmlands are often ravaged in the night; leaving no one with little or no evidence of who the culprits are or who are to be blamed, challenged or questioned.
However, the footprints, defecations and hoofs of the animals often point to who destroyed which farm. The manner the animals feed on the farm produce often leaves the produce worst and unmarketable for the farmers.
The search for peace
In the face of the unsavoury situation, the state government is not folding its arms and watch things go wrong. Persistent reports at the divisional police station impelled the state police command to facilitate several peace meetings among farmers and the Bororo herdsmen.
The last meeting was held in January at the Eleyele headquarters of the Command was supervised by the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Odude.
As if that was not enough, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Community Relations, Abidemi Siyanbade facilitated a similar meeting, few days later, which all stakeholders attended.
In addition, Governor Abiola Ajimobi also invited all stakeholders that included farmers, the herdsmen, Agbekoyas, community leaders, security operatives, vigilance groups, local hunters and others to a meeting which held at the House of Chiefs, House of Assembly Complex, Agodi Secretariat Ibadan. At the meeting, all stakeholders had the opportunity to proffer solutions to the crisis.
Manifold anger and pains
Majority of the stakeholders, including the farmers and Agbekoyas had decided not to air their views at the meeting because previous ones had failed. However, they changed their minds and decided to proffer solutions because they wanted Governor Ajimobi to hear them and take appropriate actions.
The farmers were not only angry with the Bororo herdsmen, they were also angry with their traditional leaders.
They are angry that the traditional leaders who facilitate the Fulani-Bororo herdsmen’s settlement in the community could not do anything to call them to order despite repeated complaints about the havoc they unleashed on them. The farmers are of the view that, the traditional leaders have compromised and cannot help them as a result of the gifts, money and other things they allegedly get from the herdsmen.
Of great concern to residents of the community is the sudden way their guests have become a pain in the neck. Members of the community who spoke at the meeting wondered why the Fulani/Bororo herdsmen who are well accommodated in the community suddenly turned destructive.
Many farmers who narrated their ordeals in the hands of the Bororo-Fulani herdsmen were upset.
Dele Raji, a maize farmer said his five-hectare maize farm was ravaged and consumed by cattle whose owners are unknown. He said he suffered such destruction for three consecutive years; a situation that has adversely affected his farm produce, even as he said he is discouraged and considering quitting farming.
Another victim, Ajibade Idowu, who embraced farming 32 years ago said: “After all the years I have been farming, the Bororo herdsmen have ruined me so much so that I cannot farm again.”
Afraid that the situation may reduce food production and engender food scarcity in the region, the government is providing assistance and trainings for the farmers on how to improve production.
But the issue assumed a dangerous dimension when suspected Fulani herdsmen were accused of ransacking and raiding villages and communities in the hinterland. They were also accused of stealing, vandalisation; looting; killing and maiming of innocent members of the community.
Contrary views
But the Fulani leadership had a different view of the situation. Many of them believed the farmers were accusing them wrongly. The herders’ leadership believed that the offence of one shouldn’t be generalised.
The state chairman, Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders’ Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Yakubu Bello, who spoke in Yoruba, exonerated his men from criminal activities and called on government to apprehend those who are criminals among herders.
Bello said: “Government should do all it can to maintain law and order. For us, peace is very germane. We are not happy with what happened in Iseyin recently. Nobody will be happy witnessing the death of fellow humankind. We are all useful to one another.”
Corroborating Bello’s view, the State Secretary, MACBAN, Sanni Anwal said the mass media has been creating wrong impressions about the Fulani which the people believed. He added that such situation has demonised the Fulani.”
The Fulani leadership urged the government to come up with measures that will help in arresting the bad eggs among them.
More victims
Aside from the farmers who have suffered great losses, the security operatives also lost some men to the activities of the herdsmen.
For instance, a police officer attached to the Special Anti-robbery Squad (SARS) unit in Saki was killed while launching an offensive against some cattle rustlers.
He regretted that no fewer than nine people, including the police officer in charge of SARS, Saki had been killed in the last two weeks, despite government’s efforts to ensure lasting peace.
The CP said: “The happenings in the last two weeks have been disheartening. We recorded killings of the officer in charge of SARS; a 70-year-old man, five unidentified people and another farmer, in Iseyin, Saki and Ile-Ido. So far, nine people have lost their lives and we have arrested seven suspects.
“It is pathetic. We know that the cardinal programme of the state administration is to maintain peace and security.”
Reading the riot act
Governor Ajimobi, who facilitated the meeting, said peace and unity are important. He re-affirmed his belief in the universality of man irrespective of tribe and language.
He said: “There is no difference between us as humans. We are the same but our selfishness, greed and avarice are what account for all our actions against one another. Everything is all about our selfishness and self-preservation. There is nobody here who is without any trace of selfishness
“We must sit down with all the relevant stakeholders, Miyetti Allah, farmers, community leaders and security operatives and begin a monthly meeting on how to continue this effort. Oyo State is known for accommodation, we are known for our hospitality. We must begin to implement the recommendations of the stakeholders proffered at earlier meetings and not until there is crisis.”
Aside from the proposed monthly meetings, the governor revealed the intention of his administration to register all herdsmen in the state with a direct instruction to the police to arrest any herdsman caught with guns or any other dangerous weapon.
He also said a task force under “Operation Burst” would be formed to monitor and tackle the problem of herdsmen’s invasion.
On the security front, Odude also revealed that patrol in the area would be intensified to ensure security of life and property.
