The Okun people under the aegis of Okun Development Association (ODA), have strongly condemned the recent attacks on farmlands by cattles belonging to Fulani herdsmen.
The National Publicity Secretary of ODA, Dayo Thomas in a statement on Thursday, expressed the group’s outrage over the latest incident, which took place in Egbe Town, Yagba West Senatorial district of the State.
A video had gone viral, showing acres of cassava farms completely destroyed by unrestrained cows, highlighting the severity of the attack.
The group warned that such destructive actions could further damage the already struggling local economy, despite ongoing efforts by the government and community to find lasting solutions to the persistent herdsmen-farmer conflicts in the state.
Thomas pointed to the recent spike in food prices as a clear indication of the escalating herdsmen activities, noting with dismay that affected farmers are increasingly sinking into depression, poverty, and hopelessness as these attacks become more frequent and severe.
“The farmers are still in panic mode after the incident. They are scared of returning to their farms to avoid physical attacks.
“The soaring torment being experienced by our local farmers is unbearably extreme and unacceptable,” the statement added.
The group added that the unrestrained actions by the herdsmen have caused unprecedented hyper-inflationary pressures on the community.
He appealed to relevant authorities to intervene quickly to prevent further destruction of farms.
