Farmers accused Governor Abiodun, others of gagging them at Farmers/Herders’ Stakeholders meeting  

A resident of the affected areas being terrorised by killer Fulani herdsmen in the Yewa North Local Government Area in Ogun State, has said that their representatives were not allowed to talk at the stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun  on last Tuesday.

The peace discussion to mend fences between farmers and herders in the area was held at Obas’ Complex, State Secretariat, Oke Mosan, Abeokuta.

The meeting also had in attendance, apart from Abiodun, the Ondo State Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, some northern governors who were Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State, Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State, and Abubakar Sanni Bello of Niger State.

Also in the meeting were the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, other commissioners in the state and paramount rulers and Fulani’s leaders.

Some of the areas that have been consistently attacked by the suspected Fulani herdsmen are Eggua, Ketu, Igbooro, Iselu, Agbon-Ojodu, Asa, Ibeku, Imeko, and Oja-Odan.

Several peaceful meetings that have been held without productive results until the Shasha market clash in Ibadan, Oyo State between the Hausa and Yoruba caught the attention of the governors which compelled them to also have a meeting in the Ogun State capital.

A resident of the community, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told SaharaReporters that Governor Abiodun only pleaded with the farmers, but did not allow them to explain and recount their ordeal in the hands of the criminals.

“At the stakeholders meeting, they did not allow the representatives of the farmers and residents affected by thr atrocities of Fulani herdsmen to talk. I can say they are just paying lip service to these issues,” the source said.

“The commissioner of police was there. Before that time, we had had a series of meetings that yielded no results. So when that opportunity came for us to tell the governor how we were affected, they didn’t allow us to talk. They keep appealing to us not to retaliate but our people are dying.

“At the meeting, they did not allow our people to talk or share experiences of what we have been through.

“Baale Orile-Igboyan, Adele Ijoun, some Obas and representatives of Fulani communities in Ogun State were there. I don’t know why they didn’t grant us an audience.

“They were just saying we should not let it escalate so we shouldn’t retaliate. This is painful honestly. We feel helpless.”

After the meeting, there have been attacks again in which the murderous herdsmen slaughtered five people in both Ayetoro and Oja Odun in four days.

SaharaReporters