Herdsmen Allegedly Destroy N6.6m Farm Products In Ekiti

Fulani herdsmen in Ekiti State have been accused of damaging farm products worth about N6.6m belonging to a farmer’s association in the state.

Reports reaching Naija News alleged that the herders grazed on 235 hectares of land belonging to the Maize Growers Processing Marketer Association of Nigeria in the state, leaving the farmland desolated.

It was gathered that the herders fed their animals with all maize planted on the farmland located at the state forest reserve in Aduloju farmstead, along Ado-Ijan road in Ado local government area.

Confirming the development, the state secretary of the association, Tope Emmanuel, accused the herders terrorizing farmers in the community.

Emmanuel alleged that the herders raided the farmland at night with dangerous weapons to feed their cows. All efforts by the farmers to stop them, however, proof abortive as a result of the deadly weapons with the herders.

Members of the MAGPAMAN were said to have obtained about N6.6m loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the anchor borrowers’ programme in September 2020 to plant the maize.

Emmanuel reiterated that the 160 members were left with nothing to cultivate on the farmland.

On his part, while reacting to the incident, the Ekiti Amotekun corps commander, Brig-Gen Joe Komolafe (retd) said the local security outfit is handling the situation in their own way.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, on Monday stated that Governors of the South-West have agreed to ban all forms of open grazing in the region.

Governor Makinde said the decision was reached at the meeting between governors, the leadership of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria and the security chiefs, Naija News reports.