Fear as herdsmen storm Ekiti forest reserve, destroy multi-million naira maize farm
- It seems some herdsmen are out for trouble in some southwest states
- A group of herders has wreaked serious havoc in an Ekiti forest reserve
- The cattle rearers were said to have destroyed a massive maize farm with dangerous weapons
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The Maize Growers Processing Marketer Association of Nigeria (MAGPAMAN) in Ekiti has cried out, saying a group of herdsmen destroyed a multi-million naira maize farm belonging to its members in the state.
Revealing this to journalists, the state secretary of MAGPAMAN, Tope Emmanuel, said the latest ravaging of the farmland that spans about 235 hectares is the culmination of attacks by the herders recently, Nigerian Tribune reports.
Emmanuel said the cattle rearers came to the maize farm with sophisticated weapons on the night of Tuesday, January 26, with the animals.
Source: UGC
Lamenting the mind-boggling and troubling development, the association's secretary disclosed that the farmers got N6.6 million loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the anchor borrowers’ programme in September 2020 to cultivate the crops, adding that most of them are now left with nothing.
He said:
“Last year, we approached the CBN as a group to obtain loan worth N6.6 million for the maize farm and we planted the maize covering 235 hectares of land the farm.
“But unfortunately when we were preparing for cultivation, the herdsmen came and destroyed everything on the farm with nothing for us again.
"Those herders always go there during the night with dangerous weapons in the last few days and nobody can challenge them because of the arms they are holding. We can’t go to the farm now.”
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Meanwhile, Barely 24 hours after some Fulani leaders apologised to the people of Oyo state over some crimes by some herders, the chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders of Nigeria in the state, Alhaji Ibrahim Jiji, called for the arrest of Sunday Igboho.
Jiji asked Governor Seyi Makinde to arrest Igboho without any further delay.
Igboho had ordered herdsmen to vacate Igangan in Ibarapa North local government over incessant kidnap and molestation of women in the area.
Source: Legit.ng
