Herdsmen Menace: Group Warns Of Imminent Food Shortage In Southwest 

By Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta

A Yoruba socio-political group under the aegis of Yoruba Commitment Forum (YCF) has expressed concern over the increasing danger criminal herders and their cattle posed to farming activities in the Southwest of the country, warning that food shortage loomed in the region if nothing was quickly to arrest the situation.

The group acknowledged that the impending food crisis is a national problem, but stressed that it’s particularly going to have dire consequences on the whole of Yorubaland.

The Daily Crucible reports that in Ogun State for example, the menace of herdsmen is not hurting farming activities but also fueling conflicts in the state since 2000 even up 2018, peaking in the last four years.

 

Concerned community groups under the banners of Ketu Advancement Forum (KAF) and Ketu Community Development Council, few years ago, listed some incidents where farmers were killed in their farms. The slain victims include Adegbola Ajibiaran (Agbon-Ojodu, 2000), Ayinde Korole Korole (2002), Soji Aretola (2004), Oga Aja (Asa, 2006), Oga Ruth (Asa, 2006), Orisade (Igbonla, 2006), Adewale Adekunle (Asa, 2006), Dele Akintan(Ibeku, 2006) Joseph Oga (Igbonla, 2007), Moses Oga (Igbonla (2007), Ajana Ogunlana (Moro, 2007) and Abisekan Femi (Koomi, 2008).

 

Others are: Femi Oladokun (Koomi, 2008), Sunday Idosu(Asa, 2008), Gbenga Durosinmi (Iboro, 2008), Yomi Akinola (Igan-Alade, 2011), Ogunjobi Dotun (Kodera, 2011), Ogunyomi Ige (Igan-Alade, 2011), Phillip Akan-an (Owode-Ketu, 2011), Amosun Olofinjin (Ogbon-Ojodu, 2012), Akinola Dayo Tunde (Agbon Ojodu, 2012) Semitan Agbaosi (Adesina Village, 2013), Opeita Ayo (Agbon Ojodu, 2017) and Olatunji Tangu Afolabi (Orisada, December 19, 2017).

 

Three years ago, the Ogun State Government enacted a law to regulate animal grazing and ensure the establishment of cattle ranches in designated grazing areas while the implementation of it commenced in 2022.

 

The law provides for three-year jail term without an option of fine for anyone or group of persons who rear, herd or graze livestock in any part of the state, except within the permitted ranches.

It also stipulates that anybody or group of persons, who rears cattle or livestock outside the permitted ranches after the commencement of the law also risks forfeiting such livestock or herds of cattle under their control to government but this law has not deterred the herders. Open grazing is still a common phenomenon in the state

 

Tens of hectares farm crops are being destroyed by vagrant animals in Southwest despite the enactment of open grazing law which outlaws the primitive animal rearing practice. Many farmers have been killed in the region by herders while some women and their daughters were also said to have been raped in their farms by  herdsmen.

 

The herders too have suffered losses. There were reported cases of the herders losing over 500 cows and some of their people to herders/farmers skirmishes in Yewa North and Imeko – Afon area of Ogun State. Similar experience has equally be reported in other Southwest states.

However, worried by the development, the YCF which attributed the imminent food shortage to the seemingly steady invasion and destruction of farmlands in Southwest by the rampaging criminal herders, urged the states and federal government to provide adequate security to secure farmers and their farmlands.

This was contained in a statement jointly signed on Saturday night by Otunba Hon Tayo Onayemi, Barr. Akeem Aponmade, Barr. Femi Mokikan, Otunba Niyi Sodiya, Mrs. Buky Tunde Oshunrinde and Mrs. Sola Maja, and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital.

The group also appealed to the federal government to adequately compensate farmers whose farmlands were ravaged by herders and give them financial incentives, to encourage them to go back to farm.

The statement titled, “Nigeria’s headaches, food insecurity in Yorubaland”,  read, “we have observed that for about seven years now, Fulani herdsmen have been engaging in a relentless destruction of farmlands and settlements in Yorubaland. These criminal Fulani elements resorted to kidnapping, raping, maiming and killing of farmers and Yoruba sons and daughters.

“Neither the governments at any level, nor Fulani herdsmen’s apologists would claim ignorance of the atrocious activities of these ruthless people. Video recordings of their wicked actions suffuse the internet. The end result is that farmers began to be scared off their farms gradually until now when farms have been completely abandoned.

“When this started years ago, foresighted individuals raised concerns; they warned about the potential danger of food insecurity beginning with rising food prices and the need  to ensure a stable food supply. It appears that Southwest was deliberately targeted and the invasion of our farmlands was the execution of a conscious plan to starve our people to death.

“We, the Yoruba Nation agitators, cried out for help against the brazen onslaught, but none came from the federal government led by a Fulani man.

“Unfortunately, the hens have now come home to roost as the consequences of our action, and inaction, are now here for real with food shortages and very high prices making it increasingly difficult for our people to access the basic necessity of food.

“Before the current situation spirals out of control, we hasten to inform the government that there is no alternative to large scale farming which Fulani herdsmen have destroyed by waging a war against farmers. Subsistence farming through the backyards, as good as it is, cannot serve the purpose of assuring any people of food security. Farmlands in the South West must be made very safe.

“We state emphatically that the situation whereby a basket of tomatoes is sold for #4000 in the North while the same is sold in Yorubaland for #150,000 is callous, ruthless and unacceptable to us.

We also call for assistance to use cheaper rail transport among others to assist our market men and women. Other regions do this, why not here in Yorubaland?

“Secondly, governments must incentivise farmers whose investments have been destroyed during the war of attrition waged against them by Fulani terrorists. Without government’s financial assistance, there is no way most farmers will be able to go back to farming, even if security of their lives and new investments are assured”, the statement concluded.