Suspected Fulani herdsmen have hacked to death a middle age woman after invading her farm at Arodoye community, in Akure South local government area of Ondo State.
It was gathered that the herdsmen dissected the woman’s body with machete, after destroying over 200 acres of farmlands in the area.
Briefing journalists in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Thursday, a Customary Court of Appeal judge in the state, Justice Michael Owoyemi, lamented the continuous invasion of the herdsmen on their farms.
Owoyemi, on behalf other farmers, listed some of the farm produces destroyed by the herdsmen to include, Cassava, cocoyams, yams, vegetables while some part of cocoa farm was set on fire.
“The herdsmen also returned last December destroying over 5,000 heaps of cassava in my farm. They took the advantage of the break and brought their cattle and uprooted the cassava to feed their cows.
“We have reported the herdsmen to the security agents in the past and also to the traditional ruler of Akure, 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, hence it will degenerate to ethnic clashes in the south west. What they have destroyed in a twinkle of an eye is worth million of Naira.
“Ondo State government should follow the steps taken by the Ekiti state government by enacting laws to curb the activities of the herdsmen in the state. We are calling on the state government and security agents in the state before taking laws into our hands,” Owoyemi said.
The judge, however, disclosed that the farmers had petitioned the state governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, Security agencies and the Ministry of Agriculture to intimate them on the havoc wrecked on farmlands in the area.
