The Ondo State Commander of the Security Network Agency, Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, on Thursday said about 37 herdsmen and their over 5000 cows have been sent out of the government reserves forest and the state.
This followed their refusal to register with the state government.
Adeleye who disclosed this while speaking with Tribune Online correspondent said some of the herdsmen had been violating the order of the state government and were sent packing from the forest.
Adeleye said some of the herdsmen said that could not cope with the terms and conditions of the state government and opted out of the forest and the state.
He said some of the herdsmen were sent out if the forest reserves in Ala, Oda and Ofosu forests of the state after a meeting with the leadership of the Miyetti Allah in the state.
He said, “Some of them opted to leave the state because they couldn’t meet with our terms and conditions. They came through the Chairman of Miyetti Allah in the state.
“Some of them opted to go to Osun, Edo and Kogi States. So our men escorted them to the boundaries of those states. We have to monitor their movements out of the state so that they would not destroy farms on their way out.
“About 37 herders have been flushed out of the state with about 5,000 cows. Majority of the herders have been coming to us through their chairman and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Hausa Matters.
We will not tolerate any herdsman who refused to register and this was one of the reasons we involved their chairman who joined us to lead them out and anybody caught again after this would be arrested and prosecuted.”
The Amotekun boss implored the farmers to always call on the corps whenever the cows invade and destroy their farms and should not take laws into their hands, saying the corps would respond immediately.
“It is always difficult for us to trace the herders after they had destroyed the farms but if we are called upon during the act, we will come to make an arrest and ensure that the herders pay for what they destroy.”
It will be recalled that the state governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, has issued a four-point order which include ejection of herdsmen from the forest reserves, ban on movement of cattle along the highways and within the cities, ban on night grazing and under-aged grazing.
The governor also asked the herdsmen to register with the state government to enable them to operate legitimately within the state.
Credit: Nigerian Tribune