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Sodiq Ojuroungbe
Few hours after Ogun state governor, Dapo Abiodun signed the anti-gazing bill into law, herdsmen in the state have dared the governor by invading some farmlands in the Awowo area of Ewekoro Local Government.
PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the farmlands which were about six acres (36 plots) of land were destroyed by the suspected Fulani herdsmen on Thursday evenning .
PLATFORM TIMES reports that the governor had given cattle rearers a six-month period of grace before it will become illegal in Ogun State for them to occupy unapproved public areas and private land with their livestock for grazing.
The governor during the signing of the bill had said the new law prohibits the act of moving cattle around public places by herders.
But, it came as a surprise for the people of Awowo when suspected herdsmen came to the area and destroyed some farmlands hours after the governor signed the bill into law.
PLATFORM TIMES learnt that the cattle belonging to the herdsmen reportedly ate the vegetables planted on the destroyed farmlands.
Speaking with some of the owners of the farmlands, they lamented that money invested in the planting of the vegetables has become a waste.
The owners who were vividly crying lamented that not less than N600, 000 was invested to plant on the destroyed farmlands.
Abdulfattah Ilyas, one of the owners of the destroyed farmlands said the vegetable was cultivated four months ago with the hope of making N900, 000 from it.
“This vegetable farmland was cultivated four months ago hoping to harvest first round of the produce, I have three acres of land there, I used all my savings to do this when someone introduced the business to me and I saw it as a lucrative one and decided to put all I had in it
“I would have got N900,000 return on investment from three harvests after I had invested N300,000 into it
“The Government should please help me arrest the people who did this, it is all I had that I invested, I don’t work, It is investments like this that fetch me money, help me so that my family will not beg for food”, he added.
Another vegetable farmer, Oluwanifemi Olawale said he invited people to invest in his three acres of land so that they can share the profit.
Olawale however lamented, “I didn’t have the money to cultivate the whole three acres and had to invite some other people to invest also, I have called them now to tell them what happened but they said they want their money back, how do I get the money now as I myself also lost money
“The government should help us get rid of the menace of Fulani herdsmen, I have only been getting information about their activities before, but have not been affected. With what they have done to me, it is the last straw, they must go, the government should help us curb their activities, enough is enough”.
