Herdsmen Destroy 30 Hectares of Cassava Farm in Ondo

Fidelis David in Akure

 About  30 hectares of cassava farm worth N10 million, under the Ondo State Agribusiness Empowerment Centre  has been destroyed by cows belonging to suspected herdsmen at Igbara-oke, headquarters of Ifedore Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Lamenting over the destruction of his farm yesterday, the former Commissioner for Information  and Coordinator of Atiku Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) in the state,  Dr. Eddy Olafeso, said the hectares of farm was turned to a level ground.

Narrating his ordeal in the hands of the suspected nomadic herdsmen, the farm manager, Adeola Ariyo, explained that herdsmen uprooted the whole cassava for their cows to feed on.

According to him: “Workers on the farms concluded the weeding of the farm after spending about N600,000 before going for  Christmas break only to return to the farm to meet an empty farm. There were traces of the footprints of the cows and the herdsmen at the cassava farm, most of the cassava were uprooted and given to the cows to feed on them”.

The farm manager said they planned to embark on harvesting of the cassava and reinvest the money on more capital projects  but said the hope had been dashed with the destruction of the cassava farm

He, however, said the incident had been officially reported to the headquarters of Amotekun in Ifedore local government, saying “cows have turned the 30 hectares of land into a grazing field”

He said the colossal damage done on the farm by the herdsmen and their cows affected the health of his principal, saying : “The herdsmen destroyed the entire farm and destroyed our means of survival.

“I was dazed when I got to the farm and see the destruction and I have to call my master to inform him and he was devastated with the news. The incident has been reported to the office of the Amotekun Corps.”

Meanwhile, Olafeso has written  to the state governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu,  to intimate the state government about the development saying  his 30 hectares cassava farm under the Ondo State Agribusiness Empowerment center in Igbaraoke had been destroyed by herdsmen.

In the letter addressed to the governor, the Senior Special Adviser to Governor Akeredolu on Agriculture, Mr. Akin Olotu and the Commander of Amotekun, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, Olafeso lamented the pain inflicted on him, his family and the millions of naira lost

The letter read: “We arrived at our farm in Igbaraoke this morning, 11th January,  2023 to witness the destruction of our cassava farm by herdsmen. I went on inspect of our farm on the 23rd of December,  2022 after we completed the weeding of the entire plantation. We were expectant of good harvest but between Christmas and New Year our farm has been plundered.

“The pain inflicted on the family and the millions of naira lost can only be imagined. Our sweat for over one year was taken away just like that.

“Your Excellency,  this case was reported to the Amotekun station at Igbaraoke this  morning. These evil herdsmen must be brought to book , otherwise the effect of this insanity will shake the state to its foundations,” Olafeso added.