Police and Fulani Herdsmen Collides Over Olu Falae’s farm

The former secretary to the government of the federation, Mr. Olu Falae's farm was invaded by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Kajola Village, Akure north local government area of Ondo state.

The herdsmen who were up to 10 in numbers, also spray fire on some policemen who were deployed to watch over the farm on the order of the commissioner of police in the state, Mrs. Hilda Harrison following the invasion. Vanguard gathered reports that the collision started after herdsmen invaded Falae’s farm over the weekend and destroyed some part of it. 

The Afenifere chieftains then informed the police authorities in the state and 15 mobile policemen were hurriedly deployed to the farm. 

On arriving the scene, the herdsmen opened fire on the policemen, which result in  a gun war between the policemen and the herdsmen insisting that their cows would graze on the farm. Some cows were reportedly killed during the gun collision, while the herdsmen were said to have fled in different directions. There was no report of casualty from both side 

According to a report from This Day, over 300 cows were brought to the farm by the herdsmen to graze on, mean while Falae confirmed that some part of his farm was destroyed by the herdsmen.

 He said: “I invited the police to my farm because the herdsmen have been coming to the farm everyday for several weeks and they are no longer hiding. “They come into the farm around 5 a.m. till 9 a.m. and destroy the farm, so I went to the police for protection and some policemen were sent to the farm at the weekend. “They got to the farm and met three separate herds feeding fat on my crops, but when the police approached them they fired at the police. “The policemen went there to see if they could arrest them for trespassing and destroying farm produce. So, if the herdsmen fired at the police what would they do to me?” Speaking on the incident, the state police spokesperson, Femi Joseph, said the policemen succeeded in driving out the herdsmen from the farm. Joseph said he was not aware of any exchange of gunfire by the police and the herdsmen. He noted though no arrest had yet been made, the police was investigating the situation. 

NAIJ.com reports that Olu Falae was kidnapped in 2015 by some herdsmen who were later arrested by the police and are currently facing trial. 

Meanwhile, any herdsman caught breaching the anti-open grazing law in of Benue state would be dealt with according to the law, Governor Samuel Ortom has warned. Ortom gave the warning on Monday, June 19, Makurdi while addressing members of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and the Muslim community, who were protesting the threats issued by the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association against the new law, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports. The governor said that the security agencies were ever ready to arrest anybody or group of persons that decided to resist the implementation of the law. According to the governor, the law will be enforced fully in November after the grace period of transition which is to end in October. 

NAIJ.com