Over 6000 farmers in Ago Owu Farm settlement, Ayedaade local government area of Osun, on Tuesday, expressed their anger at the state government Secretariat, Osogbo following incessant attacks on them and their farmlands by deadly herdsmen in their different localities.
The protesters who arrived the state Secretariat, in the afternoon of the day, also accused a monarch of sending thugs to unleash terror on local farmers in the areas.
Armed with placards with different inscriptions that read: “Governor Adeleke, Save Our Souls”, “1000 Hectare of Maize/ Cassava Destroyed by Herders”, “Ago Owu Farm Settlement is Osun Value”, “Olukoyi Vows to Take Over Ago Owu Farm Settlement”, and many more, they called on the government to with immediate effect checkmate the action of the monarch which they attributed to a recipe for crisis.
Speaking with newsmen, their spokesperson who identified himself as, Mr Adebanji Obenbe said the farmers were given the land by the State government and are paying taxes and dues to the government annually.
According to him, “Some men took guns and cutlass to our farm to cut our crops. We went to meet the Onikoyi and he said he truly sent them but he didn’t instruct them to cut the crops but he asked them to resell the lands to us.
“They have pursued a lot of people from the farm with gun, and we didn’t react because it was the State Government put us there.
“The action of the monarch can lead to huge crisis and war within his domain and disrupt the peaceful atmosphere of the area if not quickly checked by the government.”
Obenben said the action of the monarch is a recipe for crisis if not quickly checked by the government.
“We call on Governor Ademola Adeleke to protect us from the incessant attack and harassment by Oba Morenigbade and at the same time stop the Fulani herdsmen who invade their farmlands and damage their crops.
Meanwhile, when contacted, Oba Morenigbade described Ago-owu farmers’ allegations and claims as rude shock to him.
He denied knowledge of sending people to attack them on farmlands saying, he is currently outside the country but charged them to channel their grievances to the state police command.
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