Residents of Owo and Ose local government areas of Ondo State have urged the state government to bail them out of the alleged herdsmen attack, kidnapping in the communities.
Through a Non-Governmental Organisation(NGO) ‘Owo is One Movement,(OIOM) they emphasized that the peace and calm traditionally associated with the ancient town of Owo have been defeated by menace.
A statement after its emergency signed by the National Coordinator and Ogbeni Oja of Owo kingdom, Chief Akin Aruwajoye commended Akeredolu’s government for its prompt action on the menace.
However, it noted that the herdsmen issue was national in outlook with very complex security implications, calling on the federal government to intervene and stop the incessant attack.
The group pointed out that the damage to farmlands and unauthorised harvesting of farm products to feed cattle are causing untold hardship to peasant farmers whose only source of livelihood were being tampered with.
According to the statement “The movement is constrained to cry out to the federal government under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, to come to the aid of our people before they are wiped out by hunger as a result of the criminal activities of rampaging herders and kidnappers”.
“Considering the huge economic losses our farmers have suffered, particularly the hapless peasant farmers whose lives depend on the farms for survival, we ask for compensation for them”.
“This is important in resuscitating the economy of the communities and in curtailing the loss of jobs resulting from the destruction of people ‘s means of livelihood”.
The group called for urgent intervention to curtail the rising anger of the farmers which could fester into self-help which would worsen the present security situation.
