ABUJA – A member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, Mrs Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, on Saturday raised an alarm that her constituency has been invaded by armed herdsmen.
In a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr Olamilekan Olusada, Akande-Sadipe said armed herdsmen invaded Ogunmakin, Gambari Reserve and surrounding communities within her constituency.
She lamented that the herdsmen had been destroying farm produce and intimidating local farmers.
“The herdsmen use weapons such as guns and cutlasses to instil fear in residents of Ogunmakin,” the lawmaker, who represents Oluyole Federal Constituency of Oyo State, said.
Akande-Sadipe said the situation had put in jeopardy the means of livelihood of farmers, thereby exacerbating economic crisis and food insecurity in the South-West region.
“There is an urgent need to do something now so as to avert a further loss of lives, and prevent humanitarian and food security crisis,” Akande-Sadipe said.
She called on relevant arms of the Federal government and security agencies to intervene before people in her constituency were completely wiped out from their ancestral homes.
Akande-Sadipe who is Chairperson of the House Committee on Humanitarian Services further accused the armed herdsmen of “a deliberate agenda to destroy farm produce and intimidate local farmers”.
She said in spite of multiple reports sent to law enforcement agencies, no decisive action has been taken to address the situation, leaving farmers vulnerable and unprotected.
“The failure to act swiftly has emboldened the perpetrators, leading to increased attacks, destruction of crops and threats to lives and property, with the risk of further escalation if immediate action is not taken,” the lawmaker said.
She pointed at the resolution of Igangan crisis, where decisive steps were taken to address similar issues, including enforcement of anti-open grazing laws to restore peace and protect farmers.
Akande-Sadipe therefore called for an immediate investigation into the reported cases of intimidation, destruction of farmlands and use of weapons by herdsmen in the area.
The lawmaker urged for an uncompromising investigation aimed at ensuring the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators to serve as a deterrent to others.
She also urged the House to ask the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide immediate relief materials to affected farmers and communities.
The lawmaker expressed optimism that such support would go a long way in mitigating the impact of the crisis on their livelihood.
“It will also enable them to recover from losses incurred and resume agricultural activities,” Akande-Sadipe said.
She also requested an immediate conduct of an on-the-spot assessment of the situation in Ogunmakin, Gambari Reserve and their environs.
“We must engage with relevant stakeholders, including the Oyo State Government, security agencies and community leaders to develop a sustainable solution to the crisis,” the lawmaker said.
The conflict between Fulani herdsmen and farmers in Nigeria has been a longstanding issue, resulting in violence and loss of lives.
The Fulani people are believed to be the largest semi-nomadic group globally, found across West and Central Africa. In Nigeria, some continue to live as semi-nomadic herders, while others have moved to cities. Unlike city dwellers, the nomadic groups spend most of their lives in the bush and are often involved in clashes with farming communities, and also engage in kidnapping for ransom. They herd their animals across vast areas, frequently clashing with local farmers.
The herders now bear sophisticated weapons and use them to terrorize many parts of the country, with security operatives ignoring many of the attacks for allegedly not getting orders to go after the criminals.
Several brutal attacks happened under former President Muhammadu Buhari, who was born to a Fulani family on 17 December 1942, in Daura, a town in Katsina State, northwest Nigeria.
The continuous unprovoked attacks triggered resistance in South-East region, inhabited by Igbo people and South-West region, inhabited by the Yoruba people.
A Yoruba activist and philanthropist, Chief Dr. Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, demanded end to the attacks that have cost lives of thousands. He asked the Fulani people to vacate all the forests in South-West Nigeria.
As the Akoni Oodua of Yorubaland, he is known for fighting for the rights of the Yoruba people. He is currently advocating for a sovereign Yoruba country.
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