Babatunde Solanke
A detachment of Amotekun Corps in Ondo State was on Friday attacked by some persons suspected to be herdsmen in Sango of Igoba, a suburb Akure in Akure North Local Government Area of the state.
In a statement signed by the Public Relations Officer of Ondo Amotekun Corps, Jimoh Adeniken, the detachment of the formation that was attacked when it went to a farm where cattle were grazing contrary to the anti grazing law of the state.
The officer had received a call from the owner of the farm seeking help.
When they arrived on the farm, there was no one controlling the cattle that were grazing on the farm.
The officers therefore arrested the cattle and leading them to the headquarters of the formation at Alagbaka, Akure, the state capital.
But,when they got to Sango area, some people suspected to be owners of the cattle came out en masse and began to throw stone.
Some of them were armed with guns, swords, cutlasses, knives and different dangerous weapons and attacked the Amotekun Corps officers.
According to the statement from Amotekun Corps : “Unprovoked Attack On Officers And Men Of The Amotekun Corps At Sango Area, Igoba, Along Ado Road, Akure By The Fulani Herdsmen,” it was revealed that one one of the officers hacked was in coma and a number officers sustained varying degrees of injury.
The statement reads in parts: “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.
It would be recalled, that 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.
“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.”
