Herdsmen crisis: Anxiety as Ogun govt meets communities attacked by herders, sets up security task force
- Ogun government has begun a mission towards finding lasting peace to the farmer-herder crisis
- Stakeholders met on Monday at the palace of Olu of Ilaro on a "confidence-building mission"
- Governor Dapo Abiodun called for collective efforts in tackling crimes and urged people to live peacefully
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In a solidified effort to tackle and finally curb the ceaseless farmer-herder crisis in Ogun state, Governor Dapo Abiodun-led government on Monday, February 15, facilitated a town hall meeting with necessary stakeholders.
The meeting, which was attended by top government officials and representatives of the security agencies, was a confidence-building mission channelled towards lasting peace.
Represented by his commissioner of local government and chieftaincy affairs, Afolabi Afuape, Governor Abiodun urged all the aggrieved parties to bury their hatchets and embrace peace.
Source: Twitter
Afuape, who noted that farmer-herder crisis is a national problem, said Ogun state government is "not happy" with the bearing of things and has set up a security task force to tackle the criminal herders.
The commissioner called for peaceful co-existence and also urged the locals to be vigilant by reporting strange faces and movements to the security officials. People were also urged to not take the law into their hands.
"There must peaceful co-existence among all our people irrespective of where you come from. Though this crisis is a national issue, government is putting security plans in place to secure the lives of our people in this area."
Also speaking at the meeting, the Olu of Ilaro and paramount ruler of Yewaland, Oba Kehinde Olugbenle, acknowledged the challenges in other parts of the country but added that it was becoming pronounced in the state in recent time.
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Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Oba Olugbenle urged the government to take a grip control over the atrocities of the herdsmen.
The Olu of Ilaro's warning came 48 hours after suspected Fulani herders attacked Igbooro, Oja-Odan in Yewa North local government area, leading to the death of two villagers.
The suspected herdsmen also reportedly invaded the village close to Eggua in Oja-Odan, setting ablaze three houses and storehouses.
In a statement on Saturday, February 13, directed to President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state, Oba Olugbenle stated that government must act fast on the "continued siege" by the criminal herders.
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Rahaman Abiola is a result-oriented journalist and content writer with a firm grip of over 5-year corporate experience stranding diverse roles in digital & traditional media and social media communication.
A published literary writer, freelancer and public commentator, he has written over 100 essays covering diverse issues on economy, politics and current affairs, entertainment and leadership published in virtually all notable Nigerian national dailies and digital media in Nigeria.
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Source: Legit.ng
