By Bisola Adeyemo
Ekiti State Maize Growers Processing Marketers Association of Nigeria (MAGPAMAN) has lamented that its members’ farms worth N10million have been destroyed by suspected herdsmen in the state.
The development follows the controversy arising from a quit order by the Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, asking the herdsmen to vacate the state’s forest reserves over issues of insecurity.
Speaking with newsmen yesterday in Ado-Ekiti, the state secretary of MAGPAMAN, Mr. Tope Emmanuel stated that the herders have been terrorizing the farmers in the last one week leading to the destruction of the maize farms.
According to him, a multi-million naira farms were invaded by herdsmen at Aduloju farmstead on Ado-Ijan-Ikare Road in Ado-Ekiti, destroying crops worth N10million.
Emmanuel alleged that the herdsmen stormed the farms at night with dangerous weapons to feed their cattle and “all efforts to stop them were rebuffed.”
He disclosed that affected members obtained N6.6 million loan from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) under the Anchor Borrowers’ programme in September 2020 to cultivate the maize, adding that the 160 members had been left with nothing.
“Last year, we approached the CBN as a group to obtain a loan worth N6.6 million for the maize farm, and we planted the maize covering 235 hectares of land. In actual fact, the expected proceed is over N10millon.
“But unfortunately, when we were preparing for cultivation, the herdsmen came and destroyed everything in the farm with nothing for us again. Those herders always go there at night with dangerous weapons last few days and nobody could challenge them because of the arms they carry. We can’t go to the farm now,” he narrated.
He urged the state government and other stakeholders to come to their rescue and save them from the hands of the deadly herdsmen to recoup their investment.
“We are begging the state government to save us, as the members of the association are really in difficult situation now in view of the loan, and you cannot predict what might follow if nothing is done,” the farmers leader said.
Emmanuel said the police and the Amotekun Corps had been briefed on the incident, but expressed regret that nothing was forthcoming from the security agents.
When contacted, the Ekiti State Amotekun Corps Commander, Brig-Gen Joe Komolafe (rtd), confirmed the incident, adding: “We are handling the situation.”
