Woman killed, 200 acres of farmland destroyed in Ondo

A middle-aged woman, Patience Salami, was killed yesterday by herdsmen when they invaded Arodoye community in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State and destroyed over 200 acres of farmland.

According to the farmers, the incessant attack by the herdsmen has led to loss of lives and farm produce such as, cassava, cocoyam, yams and vegetables, while some cocoa farms were set on fire.

Justice Micheal Owoyemi, who spoke on behalf of the farmers, disclosed that the invasion started in December 2016 when the herdsmen harvested most of the farm produce during the Christmas /New Year break.

“The herdsmen also returned last December destroying over 5,000 heaps of cassava in my farm. They took advantage of the break to bring their cattle and uprooted the cassava to feed the animals.

“We have reported the herdsmen to the security agents in the past and also to the Deji of Akureland, Oba Aladelusi Aladetoyinbo who promised to wade into the matter.

“The herdsmen are determined to send the farmers out of the farm in the south west.

Unless steps are taken by the concerned authorities to end the attcks, the situation will degenerate to ethnic clashes in the south west. What they have destroyed are worth millions of naira. Some people depend on farming while some people are destroying these farms: this will not encourage farming. Most of these people here depend on the farm produce to cater for their family and send their children to school,” he said.

Owoyemi said the farmers had petitioned Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, security agencies and the Ministry of Agriculture on the attacks on them and their farmlands in the area.