…We’ll Kill Them If Govt Fails- Residents Warn
Daud Olatunji
Tension is rising in Itasin, a remote village in the Imobi-Ogbere axis of Ijebu East Local Government Area of Ogun State, as enraged residents have vowed to hunt down and kill wild elephants following the gruesome death of a local farmer.
The victim, identified as Mr. Yaya Kalamu, a farmer and felling machine operator, was reportedly trampled to death by a herd of elephants while on routine farming activity in the creeks of Itasin village.
Two other residents were also reportedly injured in the latest of several human-elephant encounters in the area.
Residents say the wild elephants, believed to have migrated into the village about eight years ago, have continued to destroy farmlands, threaten lives, and cripple local agriculture—despite multiple complaints to government authorities.
One of the residents, Iyabo Ajayi, while reacting to a visit by the Senior Special Assistant to Governor Dapo Abiodun on Forestry, Bola Badejo, expressed the community’s deep frustration.
“The government has been warning us not to touch them. But these elephants are destroying our farms, attacking our people. Two people were injured and now one of us is dead. If this persists, we will kill them,” she threatened.
According to her, several incidents involving the elephants have occurred in recent years, with some residents forced to raise funds to treat the wounded through surgery.
She lamented that despite promises from the government since 2018 to find a lasting solution, nothing tangible has been done.
“How do we survive here without farming? There is no industry, no company. These elephants have eaten our crops. We now farm close to our huts but they still come after us. And the government says we shouldn’t enter the forest,” she said bitterly.
Another resident, Mrs. Agbolade, called on the state government to take responsibility for the children of the deceased farmer.
“Yaya left behind five or six children, all between ages four and five. We want the government to sponsor their education,” she appealed.
Responding during his condolence visit, Governor Abiodun’s aide, Badejo, urged the villagers to remain calm and assured them of government intervention.
“The government cannot hear about this kind of tragedy and not respond. That is why I am here,” he said.
Reacting to allegations that the elephants were deliberately kept in the area by the government, Badejo clarified, “The wild animals were not introduced by government. They are protected species, and the state is obligated to manage the situation without endangering them or the people.”
He further warned residents against taking the law into their hands and pledged that the government would investigate the incident and support the affected family.
Meanwhile, there are conflicting accounts surrounding Kalamu’s presence in the forest at the time of the attack.
Unconfirmed reports allege he was engaged in uprooting illegally felled logs when the fatal encounter occurred.
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