Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority has arrested a herder for allegedly destroying 5.4 acres of cassava farmland at Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority Land, Nikko, Iseyin.
The OYRLEA Public Relations Officer, Opeyemi Ogunniyi, who disclosed this in a statement made available to the newsmen in Ibadan over weekend said other herders fled with their cows.
According to the statement, a few of the cows and rams were apprehended alongside the herder identified as Alhaji Amosa.
“Sequel to a petition received by a local farmer, seeking justice and reclaiming damages after Fulani herdsmen destroyed 5.4 acres of his cassava farm land at the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority Land, Nikko, Iseyin,” the statement read.
“The Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority, led an Enforcement Team on Friday to the location of the Farm Settlement along Iseyin-Oyo Road, Iseyin.
“In a swift response to address the incident and to ensure that justice is served after thorough investigation, the enforcement team led by Rtd. DCP Ojomo the Chairman Environmental Task Force and the Chief of Staff to the Chairperson Rule of Law Enforcement Authority, Mrs I.E. Akinbode, along with some other Officials in the Authority met an unpleasant situation on the Farm Settlement with herds of cattle grazing on the farm land.
“The Enforcement team along with Officials from OYRLEA swung into action, however only a few of the cows were apprehended as the herders tried to evade capture on sighting the Enforcement Vehicles, whispered to the cows in their hundreds and they took to their heels. But some rams were captured alongside one of the herders.
“The herder, by the name Alhaji Amosa, arrested for trespass and Open Grazing on the farmer’s land has since been taken for prosecution at the court while the livestocks were taken to the Ministry of Agriculture.”
During the enforcement exercise, some Farmers who came for their farming activities on the Settlement, narrated the ordeals being encountered by the Farmers Association as a result of herders’ invasion and destruction of crop produce, a resultant effect of open grazing.
They however a expressed their delight on the State Government’s intervention against herders’ invasion and referred the act as a sigh of relief and that of succour.
Mr AbdulRazak Akadi, a farmer and Secretary of the Farmers Association of the Middle Ogun Irrigation Project who spoke on behalf of others said, “We have been toiling for the herders to reap, we do not make profit on our farmlands and this is unbecoming”
He went further, stating other destructive activities of the herders and the loss they do incure all round the farming season.
Going by the complainant’s petition, the farm was reportedly destroyed for the second time, despite previous pleas to the herdsmen to refrain from such actions.
The farmer, who preferred his identity withheld, in his words said “my cassava farm was initially destroyed a month after planting, and despite assurances from the herdsmen that it would not happen again, the farm was destroyed once more on Friday, July 11th, 2025. The farmer has identified the herdsmen responsible for the destruction and is seeking prosecution.”
The Authority, however gave assurance that a written undertaking from the herdsmen not to trespass further on the Farmland will be duly signed to promote peaceful coexistence.
