Hunt down herders terrorising farmers in Southwest, Afenifere tells governors

…as Ondo farmers protest killing of four colleagues by herders

…Adeleye, Akure-based hotelier, assassinated

Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba organization, has called on Southwest Governors to track “unscrupulous herders terrorising our farmers, including owners of the cows with which they are making lives difficult for our people.”

This was contained in a Communiqué issued at the end of its caucus meeting held at the home of its leader, Reuben Fasoranti on Monday evening in Akure, the Ondo State Capital.

“The meeting took notice, with serious concerns, of the security situation in the country. Concern was also expressed on the spate of kidnapping and extra-judicial killings taking place in various parts of the country.

“Some of the recent instances cited were the resurgence of kidnapping, terrorism and banditry in Yoruba land; Ogun, Ondo, Osun, Lagos, Ekiti, Oyo and in other states like Kogi, Plateau, Benue, Anambra, Edo, Nassarawa, Niger, Kaduna, to mention a few.

“After comprehensive deliberations, the meeting then resolved as follows; Given the prime of position that security occupies in the the life of any society, Afenifere again called on the Federal Government and Security Agencies to redesign the security architecture in such a way that those in charge of security would be able to dig deeper into its causes and deal with them decisively.

“In this wise, we are calling on the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu to, in collaboration with State Governors, urgently come up with strategies to confront the challenges and put them under control.

“While the above is going on, States’ Governors, particularly in Yoruba land, should further strengthen the security network in the region because of the upsurge of terrorism in our area.

For instance, Amotekun personnel should be increased, motivated, trained and properly equipped. Besides, modern technology such as drones etc to tackle insecurity should be deployed.

“Afenifere is unrelenting in its insistence that State Police should take off immediately. In the meantime, Afenifere called on State Governors to track unscrupulous herders terrorizing our farmers – including owners of the cows with which they are making lives difficult for our people”, the Communiqué partly read.

Meanwhile, some farmers and youths from Ajagbusi Area of Ala Elefosan in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State have protested over the killing of another four farmers by gunmen suspected to be herders while on their way to the farm.

BusinessDay reports that the protesters barricaded the road leading to the Governor’s Office and Federal Secretariat, thereby preventing free flow of vehicles.

The protesters armed with leaves brought the corpses of the victims to the scene of the protest, urging the state government to fish out the killers. The protesters said the attack had thrown the Community into mourning.

While lamenting the inability of the Government to put a stop to the incessant attacks and killings, the traditional ruler of Adeshina Community, Taiwo Samuel, described the incident as one too many.

In another development, a popular socialite and Chief Executive Officer of Klass Five Hotel, Adesoji Johnson Adeleye, was assassinated in the early hours of Tuesday at his hotel in Arakale Area of Akure, Ondo State Capital.

It was gathered that Adeleye was asleep in one of the rooms in the hotel when he was gruesomely killed by some men suspected to be assassins.

According to a source, the armed men were said to have found their way into the hotel premises and met Adeleye who was awake and ready for the day’s work.