Fulani Herdsmen Attack Amotekun Officers In Ondo

By Ayodele Oni

Fulani herdsmen have attacked men of Amotekun security corps in Ondo state leaving some of them seriously wounded.

The incident which happened Friday evening, along a village at Akure/ Ado Ekiti highway, forced some of the officers to make a retreat following heavy bombardment from the herdsmen.

Jimoh Adeniken, Public relations officer Ondo Amotekun, explained in a statement on Saturday that “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 corps.”

The government of Ondo state had on August 31st, 2021,  signed the Anti-Grazing Bill into law.

The decision, which was is in line with the resolution of the Southern Governors’ Forum, was aimed at stemming needless instances of skirmishes, conflicts as well as infractions on the enviably peaceful disposition of the good people of Ondo State.

The statement added that “Government will continue to pursue with vigour, through lawful means, to ensure strict compliance of the law with a view to ensuring, that the efforts of farmers would not be truncated through destruction of their farmlands by herders and their cows.

“Officers of the Corps will however, continue to carry out its legal functions of protecting people of the state as well as their properties.”