FARMERS and monarch of Ikoyi-Ile, Orire Local Government of Oyo State have urged Governor Seyi Makinde, the House of Assembly and security agencies to come to their aid over incessant attacks by herdsmen on their farmlands.
They threatened to resort to self-help should security agencies fail to protect them from incessant attacks by the herdsmen.
Ikoyi-Ile, which is an agrarian community, is near Ogbomoso.
The Secretary of Idera Agbe Farmers Association, Orire Local Government branch, Chief Joseph Oyekola, accused herdsmen of killing and cutting off a farmer’s hand, raping two of their daughters and destroying their farms.
He added that herdsmen have been terrorising farmers in the area for the past eight years, stressing that urgent intervention was needed by the government, before things get out of hand.
In an interview, the Onikoyi of Ikoyi-Ile, Oba Abdul-Yekeen Oladipupo, said he has been trying his best to facilitate peaceful coexistence between the farmers and herders in the area. He said farmers/herders clashes are not limited to the area.
“We have tried to resolve the issue many times because it is difficult to separate farmers and herders. We have been living together for a while. I have taken a lot of steps in the matter so as to find a lasting solution to it, but it seems my efforts are not sufficient to achieve the goal. So, we need government’s intervention in the matter,” he said.

By Segun Showunmi