The Nigeria Security And Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC), has arrested two suspected herdsmen after their herd of cattle destroyed rice crops on several acres of land worth millions of Naira in Songbe area of Osun state.
The farmland, spanning about 25 acres, until last Sunday was filled with ripe rice ready to be harvested.
The cows were said to have marched into the farm, belonging to a Bola Fasade, on Sunday and eaten up all her crops, turning a land of agricultural treasure to a land of waste.
Narrating her plight amidst tears, she said: “I was called by my laborers that cattle have invaded my rice farm and I got there watching helplessly as they ruined my life, I was also threatened to be killed.
“All my 25 acres of rice farm were grazed by the cows, I borrowed about 800,000 Naira to cultivate the rice and I have to refund it,” she said, sobbing.
Unfortunately, she was not the only victim as Dele Banjo, another rice farmer in Songbe village, while relaying his experience said he was attacked and chased out of his farm while harvesting his rice and had to flee for his life.
The efforts of the intelligence officers of the Corps were however able to unravel the settlement of the herdsmen in the area, which was before now allegedly unknown to farmers in the area.
Although, most of the herdsmen have fled the settlement, the Corps was able to arrest two suspects.
The Osun State Commandant of the NSCDC said that the command is set to rid the state of herdsmen who continue to make life unbearable for the farmers.
“We are told some Fulani herdsmen invaded Songbe village in Ola-oluwa area with about 2,000 cows constituting nuisance to the community.
“We mobilised men there to intervene but, what we met was a devastated situation.
“The herdsmen had gone on rampage, destroying a lot of farmlands, while also threatening the farmers to leave some crops for their cows to eat.”
He then stressed the need for more efforts on the part of the government, to collaborate with all security agencies so as to control and prevent such occurrences.
“While the government strongly promotes agriculture, scenarios like this may deter people from investing into farm cultivation unless something is done to nip the menace in the bud.” the commandant declared.