Inhabitants of Ondo State, Nigeria, are being forced to abandon their homes due to relentless assaults from terrorists masquerading as herdsmen.
These violent incidents, which encompass kidnappings and murders, have thrown local commerce into disarray, jeopardized food security, and resulted in the displacement of numerous residents.
Studies reveal that from 2015 until now, over 4,000 farmers in south-western Nigeria have lost their lives, and since 2005, the nation has mourned the loss of more than 8,343 individuals due to conflicts between farmers and herders.
To combat the escalating threat of herders, the governors of the six South-West states, in conjunction with prominent traditional rulers, instituted the Western Nigeria Security Network, colloquially known as ‘Amotekun’, in January 2020. Despite backing from the state governments, Amotekun finds it challenging to repel the continuous onslaught from the herdsmen.
Local inhabitants have voiced their apprehensions regarding Amotekun’s capacity to reclaim territories overrun by the herdsmen. Probes disclose that certain areas have been rendered inaccessible due to the severity of the attacks.
According to the Punch, Femi Adeyele, a farmer recuperating from injuries inflicted by a herdsman assault, recounted his ordeal: “I met them (herdsmen) on my 50-hectare farm that had cassava planted on it. I was somewhere watching, and I saw as they uprooted my cassava to feed their cows. This angered me, and I came out of where I was and ordered them to leave my farm, but instead, it seemed like they spoke some language to their cows, and they surrounded me. As I tried to run, I put the phone to my ears, feigning a call to Amotekun for help, but they struck me with a cutlass, and I began to bleed.”
Another farmer, Yele Adaranijo, shared, “They came to my farm and destroyed the corn we planted. They tried attacking my farmer colleagues and me, but we begged them not to hurt us. We also begged them not to destroy our crops because that was our only means of livelihood. They’re always threatening us here; we are tired of this whole thing.”
The attacks have also targeted travelers, farmers, and their agricultural lands. Farmers have narrated incidents of assaults on their farms, narrowly escaping with injuries, and the devastation of their farmlands. The state continues to grapple with the significant challenge of security.