Farmers in Ikoyi-ile, an agrarian community in Oyo State recounted their ordeals in the hands of suspected herdsmen to the Nation newspaper recently during an interview.
One of the farmers in Ikoyi-ile identified as Dominic Gbebi claimed he was macheted 14 times while trying to evict the daredevils who invaded his farn with their cows.
The secretary of the Idera Agbe Farmers association in the community, Chief Joseph Oyekola, who also doubles as the Babalaje Agbe of of Orire Local Government Area (LGA) spoke on behalf of the association.
Chief Joseph himself spoke on the incessant attacks when he said, “ Herdsmen cut off the hand of one of our workers working on the farm, they destroyed our farm products.
“Another farmer was matcheted on the head while others were injured”
Usman Daudu, a farmer in the community claims 20 hectares of his farmland was destroyed along with the Maize, yam and tomatoes planted on it.
The Monarch of the community, Onikoyi of Ikoyi-ile, Oba Abdu-Yekeen Oladipupo called on Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State as all his efforts to ensure peaceful coexistence between the farmers and herders has proven fruitless.
The community’s Monarch said, “In fact, I even had meetings with the Assistant Inspector General of Police (Zone 11) in Osogbo together with the Commissioner of Police, and the police assured of coming to our aid.”
