Fulani herdsmen return to Falae’s farm, destroy crops

Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief

Olu Falae

CHIEF Olu Falae’s farm in Akure has again been attacked by
Fulani herdsmen, barely two weeks after the herdsmen
kidnapped the former Secretary to the Government of the
Federation and kept him for four days.
The herdsmen reportedly moved in their cattle into the farm
situated at Ilado on the outskirts of the state capital at about
2am on Monday and destroyed a one-kilometre stretch of maize
plantation.
Manager of the farm, Mr Bruno Akhigbodemen, who conducted
journalists round the farmland on Wednesday, said the
herdsmen ran away before help could come after the workers
they met in the farm had raised the alarm.
Akhigbodemen said, “The destruction visited on the farm is
devastating. They invaded the farm and made their cows to eat
and destroy our maize that covers over one kilometre.
“They came around 2am; one of the workers raised the alarm
but before help could come they had destroyed the farm and
fled. We quickly informed Baba (Falae) who immediately
reported to the police.”
The farm manager said some detectives were thereafter drafted
to the farm.
But the spokesman for the state police command, Mr. Femi
Joseph, told one of our correspondents on Wednesday that he
had not been briefed on the incident.
Our correspondent who visited Falae’s house on Wednesday
was told the ex-SGF and National Chairman of the Social
Democratic Party was resting and not available to talk.
His Personal Assistant, Capt Moshood Raji, who also confirmed
the attack, said, “Baba can’t be reached on telephone now
because we just returned from the farm now and he is taking his
rest.”
Raji also said that the elder statesman had reported the case to
the State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mike Ogbodu, and that
“he (CP) had directed the State CID to move in.’’
‘‘We searched the people who were there yesterday but we
could not arrest anybody. But the villagers told us that they saw
them moving out of the farm on Monday morning. They said
they were moving towards Owo area,” he added.
Curiously, the CP denied knowledge of the attack when
contacted by one of our correspondents on Wednesday.
“I am not aware that any herdsmen attacked Chief Falae’s farm
again, I’am not aware,” he said.
Falae, also a one-time finance minister, was kidnapped from his
farm by suspected Fulani herdsmen on his 77th birthday on
September 21 and was not set free until four days later.
He said he was tortured by his abductors and that ransom was
paid before they set him free.
He also said his abductors threatened to kidnap him again if he
started saying “rubbish” after his release.
When a former Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Alani Akinrinade,
paid him a visit after his release, Falae had said, “There were six
of them with three or four guns and every half an hour or so
they will say, ‘Baba we are going to kill you; if you don’t give us
money we are going to kill you.’
“On Wednesday one of them came and said, ‘look we are going
to leave here on Thursday morning. Since we cannot leave you
here alone, if we don’t get what we want, we are going to kill
you.
“And they said they gave me until 3pm, and if at 3pm they don’t
get the money, they would execute me. I thank God that at 21
minutes to 3pm, one of them came and said, ‘the money don
complete.’
We’ll not fold our arms –Afenifere
The latest attack has attracted the anger of the pan-Yoruba
group, Aferenife, which said further attacks would not be
tolerated.
The Ondo State government also condemned the attack, which it
described as “despicable.”
Afenifere leader, Chief Ayo Adebanjo, said if nothing was done,
the Fulani herdsmen could become too powerful and start
oppressing the Yoruba just as they were doing to other ethnic
groups in Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa states.
He said, “It is unfortunate that up till now, neither President
Muhammadu Buhari nor the Federal Government has made a
statement on the issue. We cannot sit down and continue to fold
our arms. We cannot continue to allow these Fulani herdsmen
to destroy our crops, kill our people and rape our women in the
name of one Nigeria.
“Do they expect us to fold our arms and let this continue? This is
what they have been doing all over the country. This never
happened during the First Republic or the Second Republic.”
Adebanjo said the issue was one of the issues discussed at the
National Conference. He, therefore, blamed the government for
failing to find a solution to the crisis.
“Can’t the government confine them to grazing fields? Must we
be compelled to continue to accommodate visitors that continue
to kill and attack their hosts? We cannot continue to live
together at the expense of our lives and property.”
The spokesperson for the Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin, said all
Yoruba leaders under the aegis of the Oodua Foundation, would
meet in Ibadan on Thursday (today) to take a stand on the
matter.
He said the Yoruba had become tired of the frequent attacks and
could no longer condone the situation.
He said, “All Yoruba groups will converge on Ibadan to discuss
this matter. We have had enough. The Fulani have declared war
on us by returning to Chief Falae’s farm. There will be an
appropriate response from the meeting. We have had enough
and Nigerians must address this issue once and for all.”
Another Afenifere leader, Senator Femi Okurounmu, told one of
our correspondents that he was aware of the fresh attack on
Falae’s farm.
He said he could not understand why the Fulani would continue
to attack peace-loving Yoruba. He, however, said he would not
comment until after the Ibadan summit.
The founder of the Oodua People’s Congress, Dr. Fredrick
Fasehun, said he was not aware of the latest attack on Falae’s
farm.
He, however, said the Fulani herdsmen would regret their
actions if they continue to take the Yoruba for granted.
“I am not aware of this latest encroachment but I think Yoruba
leaders should not take this assault lying low. If the Fulani want
war, they will get war,” he said.
The Ondo State Commissioner for Information, Mr Kayode
Akinmade, condemned the act, saying it was despicable and
unacceptable.
He said, “It is despicable and unacceptable, we condemned it in
its entirety and we believe that the security agencies will take
action appropriately to nip further attacks in the bud.
“The first time they attacked Chief Falae’s farm they kidnapped
the elder statesman and again they are now coming back to
destroy the farm. They want to desecrate our land, this is
unacceptable.’’
He then enjoined the security agencies to take a drastic step to
ensure the safety of the lives and properties of the people of the
state.
Copyright PUNCH. All rights reserved. This material, and other
digital content on this website, may not be reproduced, published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or in part without prior
express written permission from PUNCH.
Contact: editor@punchng.com