Ogun State Police Responds to Alleged Herdsmen Siege; Says State will never allow siege.

RE- HERDSMEN LAYING SIEGE ON SOUTHWEST STATES, PLANNING COLLUSION WITH NIGERIA POLICE

The attention of Ogun State Police Command has been drawn to the above statement credited to the Yoruba Council of Elder (YCE), published by an online media outfit, ‘Sahara report’.

While not joining issues with the highly respected YCE, the Ogun State Police Command being an integral part of the South-West, wishes to set the record straight on the lingering herdsmen-farmers clashes across the country as it relates to Ogun State.

The Command admits that there had been past incidents of herdsmen-farmers clash in Ogun State.

However, the incidents were few and far between. Also, none was serious enough to have placed the state under siege as they were expeditiously and amicably resolved.

It is pertinent to note that regular stakeholders’ meetings involving security agencies, traditional rulers, representatives of State and Local Governments, community leaders, herdsmen and farmers across the State are being periodically held to identify the challenges posed by herdsmen and their cattle to farmlands.

There are also existing committees comprising representatives of the stakeholders that monitor the activities of herdsmen and farmers and enforce mutually agreed sanctions against acts capable of breaching existing understanding and public peace.

The Command’s efforts in mitigating herdsmen – famers crisis in the State have proved so rewarding that for a very long time, the State has not recorded any clash between herdsmen and farmers.

Unfortunately, on 1st May, 2019, unknown herdsmen were accused by the natives at Iwoye Ketu, a border town in Imeko Afon local government area of the State, of polluting the only drinking stream in the community with their cows.

An attempt by the natives to stop the herdsmen from further polluting the stream resulted in a fight in which casualties were recorded on both sides.

On receiving the information, the Command as usual, swiftly moved into the scene and brought the situation under control.

Six herdsmen who were suspected to have direct involvement in the fracas were arrested and have since been arraigned.

Normalcy has since been restored to the community and everybody is going about his or her legitimate business without hindrance or any form of molestation.

In several peace-meetings held after the incident, the Fulani community, the host community, farmers and herdsmen have resolved to continue to live together peacefully and also to keep records and monitor influx of strangers from other neighboring Countries.

The Command therefore wishes to reassure the YCE and indeed the entire citizens of Ogun State that the police will continue to monitor the activities of herdsmen in Ogun State to encourage lawful conduct of their legitimate activities and peaceful co-existence with host communities and farmers.

In doing so, lawlessness and impunity will not be tolerated, and the Command will be courageous in taking decisions that will measure up to justice, equity and good conscience.

Ogun State under the watch of police command will never come under the siege of herdsmen or any other groups with such sinister intentions.

DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi,
PPRO, for CP, Ogun State Command