By: Oluwatosin Adesola
Several officers of Amotekun Corps in Ondo State and some Falani Herdsmen have reportedly sustained various degree of injuries when Amotekun men on Friday arrested over 120 cows and their herders for grazing and destroying tomatoes farms worth millions of naira at Igoba town in Akure North local government area of the state.
It was gathered that many farmers in the Igoba and Osi areas of Akure North Local Government have been complaining and reporting the cases of vows grazing on their farms since the 6th of May 2024, until yesterday when the agents of Amotekun corps from the Headquarters Alagbaka Akure, responded to a distress report from a tomato farmer at Igoba over cows grazing his farm and the owner led the security men to the farm.
There is an open grazing law in Ondo State on which Amotekun Corps acted.
It was further learnt that the operatives of the Amotekun corps arrested over 120 cows feeding on the tomato farm, but on their way moving the arrested vows and herders to the Amotekun headquarters in Akure, they met resistant on their way as groups of armed Fulani herdsmen allegedly attacked the officers with stones, bottles, cutlasses, and guns around cow market “Songo Area”, along Akure-Igoba- Ado Ekiti Road.
The attack led to reinforcement by Amotekun corps to rescue some of their men who have been injured at the Songo market, while Amotekun men successful identified the cows owner, but could not move the cows to their corps headquarters as a result of the attack.
It was gathered that although nobody was declared dead, contrary to insinuation but several persons and security agents were injured during the attack on the Amotekun officers.
A statement from Amotekun Headquarters signed by the PRO of the corps says, “Upon constant complaints from many farmers in the Igoba and Osi areas of Akure North Local Government since the 6th of May 2024 till date, the agency of Amotekun corps from the Headquarters Alagbaka Akure, responded today dated 5th of July 2024, at about 1600 hours.
“During the operation, the corps surveillance team was led to the farms by the owners. On getting there, met over one hundred and twenty cows ravaging the farms and there was nobody with the cows.
“The operatives of the Amotekun corps moved the cows out of the farms while passing by the Sango Area, along Ado Road, groups of armed Fulani herdsmen attacked the officers with stones, bottles, cutlasses, and guns.
“Thereafter, the corps retreated based on the order from the state Headquarters of the Amotekun corps. Furthermore, the assailants continued to throw stones and bottles till they invaded the main road and hacked one of the Amotekun officers to a coma while attempting to disarm the officers and men of the Amotekun corps.
“Sequentially, the officers of the Amotekun Corps shot into the air to dislodge them and move back to the office. Unfortunately, other officers sustained degrees of injuries during the attack and they are currently receiving medical attention at the Hospital.”
Confirming the attack on his men, the State Commander of Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye said the owner of the cows have been identified while investigation continues by the corps.
Also in an interview, one of the herders who spoke anonymously, denied the allegations, and alleged there was a casualty in the incident.
PRESS STATEMENT
UNPROVOKED ATTACK ON OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE AMOTEKUN CORPS AT SANGO AREA, IGOBA, ALONG ADO ROAD, AKURE BY THE FULANI HERDSMEN
Upon constant complaints from many farmers in the Igoba and Osi areas of Akure North Local Government since the 6th of May 2024 till date, the agency of Amotekun corps from the Headquarters in Alagbaka Akure, responded today dated 5th of July 2024, at about 1600 hours.
During the operation, the corps surveillance team was led to the farms by the owners. On getting there, they met over one hundred and twenty cows ravaging the farms and there was nobody with the cows.
Determined to enforce the anti-open grazing law of the State, the operatives of the Amotekun corps moved the cows out of the farms, and while passing by the Sango Area, at Igoba, along Ado Road in Akure, groups of armed Fulani herdsmen attacked the officers with stones, bottles, cutlasses, and guns.
Thereafter, the corps retreated based on the order from the state Headquarters of the Amotekun corps.
Furthermore, the assailants continued to throw stones and bottles till they invaded the main road and hacked one of the Amotekun officers to a coma while attempting to disarm the officers and men of the Amotekun corps.
Sequentially, the officers of the Amotekun Corps shot into the air to dislodge them and move back to the office.
Unfortunately, other officers sustained varying degrees of injuries during the attack and they are currently receiving medical attention at the Hospital.
Hence, the owner of the cows have been identified while investigation continues by the corps.
It would be recalled, that the government of Ondo state had on August 31st, 2021, signed the Anti-Grazing Bill into law.
The decision which was is in line with the resolution of the Southern Governors’ Forum was aimed at stemming needless instances of skirmishes, conflicts as well as infractions on the enviably peaceful disposition of the good people of Ondo State.
Government will continue to pursue with vigour, through lawful means, to ensure strict compliance of the law with a view to ensuring, that the efforts of farmers would not be truncated through destruction of their farmlands by herders and their cows.
Officers of the Corps will however, continue to carry out its legal functions of protecting people of the state as well as their properties.
E-signed:
Jimoh Adeniken
Public relations officer Ondo Amotekun