Herders attacks threaten food security

By Fatima Muraina & Jimoh Ahmed

The South-West Nigeria may soon face huge food crisis if the unending attacks on farmers and destruction of their food crops across many communities in the region are not quickly curtailed.

The agrarian communities in the South-West geo-political zone constantly being ravaged by suspected herdsmen are now looking up to government for urgent help.

Currently, Oke-Osun community in Oyo State is under siege as the hoodlums are roaming the farmland unchecked. So also is the Oko-Ogbomoso road in Osun State which the herdsmen have taken over, disrupting the farmers from planting in the area.

Also in Ekiti State, most towns like Ijero-Ekiti and others in Moba Local Government are groaning over the activities of the marauders.

The observation is a fall out of The Hope’s investigations across the geo-political zone which had been under the siege of marauding herdsmen.

Report from states like Osun, Oyo, Ogun and Ekiti showed that the activities of the hoodlums are hampering food production.

Most farms are not only being destroyed but the crops are also pilloried unjustifiably,   no thanks to the Fulani herdsmen who are fond of destroying farmlands with impunity.

Among areas that are badly hit by these hoodlums in Ondo State include, Akure North and South local governments, Ore, Igbara Oke, Ose and Ikaram Akoko.

Already, prices of stable foods like garri, maize, vegetables have all gone up. The Hope investigation revealed that the activities of the herders and kidnappers have instilled fears in the mind of farmers who are now afraid to go to their farms to avoid clash with herdsmen.

According to Ondo State Caretaker Chairman of Farmers’ Congress, Mr Monilari Abayomi, the situation has already led to high cost of food items because the demand is now higher than the supply as over 80 percent of the farmers are affected.

According to him, some farmers who opted to plant tomatoes believing that cows do not eat the produce were beaten and got their farms destroyed while women found in the farms were raped.

The traditional ruler of the town, the Akala of Ikaram, Commodore Andrew Momodu, while describing the situation as pathetic, said there is little or nothing farmers could do about the situation.

Oba Momodu, a retired Naval Officer, stated that in Akoko area alone, over 500 hectares of farmlands and tonnes of food crops have been destroyed by cattle and herdsmen who also killed farmers who challenged them in the process.

The Oba said fear and apprehension have now gripped farmers in the area as many of them have boycotted their farms.

According to him, the situation could result in food scarcity which might be disastrous for the region.

The monarch said it was only the government that could do the needful about the situation.

The Baale of Surulere, Irun Akoko, Akoko Northwest Local Government, Chief Dauda Sheriff said series of attacks by herdsmen have made most farmers flee their farm settlements as they cannot face the armed cattle rearers.

Sheriff said this has led to a shortfall in farm outputs in the area and called on the Ondo State Government to defend the people before the herdsmen succeeded in displacing the local people from their lands.

A farmer, Evangelist Joshua Oyedele, whose farm is situated at ‘Onikasu’ village along Okitipupa, Ore road in a chat with The Hope said many of them have stopped going to their farms when the situation became unbearable.

He said the insecurity discouraged them as their efforts were often destroyed by cows led into their farms by daredevil herdsmen, and they would often look on helplessly as cows eat up their labour.

In tackling the situation, Oyedele suggested that government should help in identifying the culprits among the herdsmen as it was beyond the farmers.

“While disclosing that tobacco leaves and Melon seeds scare cows away, Oyedele said the herdsmen often return to kill the farm owner where their cows fall victim of poisoning due to what was applied to safeguard the farm.

Another farmer, Mr Emmanuel Giwa noted that the rate at which herdsmen entering the farms presently is alarming at this period of the Coronavirus pandemic which does not permit free movement unlike before.

Reacting to the situation, the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr Adegboyega Adefarati who agreed that the situation needed urgent attention, appealed to the farmers to bear with the situation, saying that the police and other security operators cannot go to the bushes and farms.

Adefarati assured the farmers that government will support farmers in securing soft loans, tractors and had cleared about 150 hectares for distribution to farmers.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Ondo state, Asp Tee- Lee Ikoro assured farmers of their safety, urging them to go to their farms.

He urged them to report any development to the security operatives in the nearest police station in their locality for prompt attention.