Herdsmen: Tension in Ondo as protesters take position on Akeredolu’s vacation order
- Many residents in Ondo have thrown their weight behind Governor Rotimi Akeredolu in his move to oust herdsmen from the state
- To demonstrate this, the indigenes came out on Thursday, January 21, to protest the alleged injurious activities of the herders
- Most of the protesters claimed that the cattle rearers are involved in the killing and kidnapping of natives
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In full and active support of the quit notice issued to herdsmen in Ondo, many protesters on Thursday, January 21, took over the streets of Akure, the state capital.
The protesters consist of commercial drivers, members of the Nigeria Forest Services known as Forest guards, farmers, and traders, The Nation reports.
The position of the agitators is that the vacation order that was given by Governor Rotimi Akeredolu still stands.
Jacob Adejo, the chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW) who confirmed the development to journalists revealed that even commercial drivers in the state do not feel safe anymore due to the activities of the herders.
Adejo added that some kidnappers who come in the guise of cattle rearers abduct and sometimes kill drivers.
Earlier, the Ondo state government expressed how serious it was about sending all herdsmen out of its forest reserves despite the presidency's position on the issue.
Reacting to the presidency's position that Governor Rotimi Akeredolu cannot unilaterally oust herders from the state, Jimoh Dojumo, a media aide, said there is ignorance on the part of the leadership concerning the rate of insecurity in Ondo.
In his conversation with journalists on Wednesday, January 20, Dojumo said the ultimatum given to the cattle rearers was the last option for the state when the menace of kidnapping, killing and violent crimes became unbearable.
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Dojumo went on to state that the government even met with the leadership of the herdsmen on how to curb the injurious activities of their members. He went on to note that the state and its people voted for President Muhammadu Buhari for the protection of the lives and not otherwise.
His words:
“I want to believe that President Muhammadu Buhari is not in the picture of what is happening here because if he knew the clear picture of what is happening in Ondo State, there won’t be any negative reaction.
“We voted for him before he became the president and he is there to protect us not to destroy us."
Nigerian Herdsmen vs Nigerian Farmers | Legit TV
Source: Legit.ng