Following the attack on the farm of a former secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief Olu Falae, some elders of Akureland on Tuesday warned the Fulani herdsmen to desist from attacking the ex-SGF farm in order not to cause a tribal crisis between the indigenes of the community and the herdsmen.
The elders also called on all security agencies in the state to protect the residents against the incessant attacks of the herdsmen so that people would not be forced to resort to self-help.
Falae’s farm was attacked on Sunday by some suspected Fulani herdsmen who allegedly burnt down over five hectares of palm plantation and some cash crops.
Reading the address of the elders to journalists in Akure, the Ondo State capital, the Asiwaju of Akureland and a former Ambassador to Australia, Prof. Olu Agbi, lamented the rate of attacks on farms and many farmers in the state, particularly, Falae whose farm had been allegedly destroyed by the herdsmen several times .
They said there was a need for the government to be proactive in checking the activities of the herdsmen before it degenerated to a full-blown ethnic crisis.
He said, “Since his (Falae) release and the conviction of the suspects, the farm of the senior citizen has been a subject of attacks by herdsmen. Apart from killing people on his farm, neighbouring farms have been subject of attacks by these gun-wielding herdsmen.
“The recent burning of Chief Olu Falae’s plantation by these same elements calls for worry. We call on the security agencies to protect the life and property of Chief Falae.
“We are making this appeal not only because he is an Akure chief but to prevent a tribal war as the Olu of Ilu Abo’s stature transcends Akure and Yorubaland.
“We warn the herdsmen not to create an opportunity for a civil war because any further attack on Chief Olu Falae or his farm would be deemed as casus belli.”
The elders also kicked against cattle colonies in all states of the federation, proposed by the Federal Government. They declared that there was no land in the Akure kingdom for such colonies.
“The word colony has political connotation not economic. A colony is a political entity which someone says he wants to create in the territory of another; that is provocation; that is a terrible thing for anybody to contemplate. I can tell you that Akure does not have land to be colonised.
“Akure kingdom welcomes genuine farmers and agriculture entrepreneurs who want to invest in any form of farming including animal husbandry. But we do not have land for a colony.
“We did not find our fathers as slaves and let us say that we have the capacity to defend our land against Fulani herdsmen invasion,” the elders declared.
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