Farmers from 10 communities in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State on Monday staged a protest over what they called the “devastating destruction” of their farmlands by Fulani herders, calling on President Bola Tinubu and Governor *Dapo Abiodun* to intervene urgently.
The affected communities include Ogunmakin, Ayegunle, Aluoge, Showunmi, Yakoyo, Lemomu and Beere.
The protesters said cattle grazing on their farms over the last 10 years have destroyed crops worth no less than N100 million. Cassava, maize, sugarcane, potatoes and plantain were among the crops listed as destroyed.
They warned that the persistent destruction was not only crippling food production but also threatening the security of residents.
“We Can No Longer Farm”
Speaking during the protest in Ogunmakin, Mr. Muritala Saka said the herders had become “an absolute thorn in the flesh of farmers.”
“The herders will bring their cows and graze on whatever we planted, be it maize, potato, plantains, cassava. We have reported them to security agencies several times, but this has not brought a stop to their dastardly actions,” he said.
“It is like these herders are intentionally destroying our farms to send us packing from our communities. Some of us are now in debts because we can’t pay back what we borrowed to invest in our farming.”
Mr. Jimoh Oduntan described the herders’ actions as “pure evil and act of wickedness.”
“These herders are like bone stuck in our throat, causing us so much anguish and pain. It is the government that is encouraging us to go back to farm and we are trying our best, but these herders are making our efforts to be in vain,” he lamented.
Mr. Kunmi Adekunle accused the herders of double standards, saying: “They also have their farms where they planted sugarcane, potatoes, and you will never see their animals eating what they planted, but they are always quick to bring their animals to feed on what we planted.”
Mr. Sunday Balo alleged that insecurity had forced women out of the farms. He claimed his wife was “nearly raped” and attacked with a cutlass by some herders last year — an incident he said was reported to the Ogunmakin police.
“I borrowed N1m, which I invested in my farm, but I have nothing to show for it because the herders brought in their cows to eat all that we planted. Our wives can no longer go to farm, nobody is safe,” Balo said.
*Failed Dialogues, Call for Government Action*
The farmers said several meetings with herders’ leadership had failed to yield results. They carried placards with inscriptions such as: _“Gov Dapo Abiodun save us from the herders destroying our farms”_, _“President Bola Tinubu rescue us from the herders”_, and _“We beg IGP Tunji Disu, DSS to come to our aid.”_
“We don’t want to go into confrontation with the herders, and that is why we are having this protest to call for the intervention of the Ogun State and federal government to call these people to order. We want the herders to leave our farms,” Adekunle said.
The protesters warned that without urgent intervention, the situation could degenerate into another farmers-herders clash.
As of press time, there was no immediate response from the Ogun State Government, police command, or representatives of the herders in the area.
