Herders attack Amotekun operatives, destroy farms in Ondo

Suspected herdsmen on Friday attacked operatives of the Ondo State Amotekun Corps while enforcing the anti-open grazing law of the state.

A statement by the Spokesperson for the Corps, Jimoh Adeniken, said the operatives were attacked by herdsmen at Igoba, on Ado-Ekiti road in Akure North Local Government Area of the state.

The statement said that the some officers of Corps sustained injuries during the attack and were receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital.

The statement read: “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 farmlands.”

The statement reiterated that government would continue to ensure strict compliance with the state Anti-grazing law with a view to ensuring that efforts of farmers were not in vain through destruction of their farmlands by herders.

It also promised that the Corps would continue to carry out its legal functions of protecting people of the state and their property.

Thefrontrank reports that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu had on August 31, 2021 signed the Anti-Grazing Bill into law.