Anti-open grazing law, Ondo Amotekun arrests herders, 49 cows

The Ondo State security outfit, codenamed Amotekun, has arrested 52-year-old Ibrahim Musa, his two underaged sons and 49 cows for flouting the state government’s open grazing law.

Musa and his twin six-year-old sons, Audi and Musa, were arrested for harassing and threatening a 70-year-old female farmer, Victoria Ajayi, in Kajola area of Akure South council area of the state with a cutlass.

Narrating her ordeal, the septuagenarian said she was in her house when her grandson living with her called that cows have invaded their farm.

Ajayi said: “That evening, I was resting after taking my drugs because I was under medication for hypertension.

“My little boy called and said there were cows on our farm. I saw a man standing afar, while the two little boys were with the cows.

“I asked them to call their father as they gave deaf ears to my words and looked at me angrily.

“As I was trying to make the children understand they should take the cows out of my farm, one of them brought out a cutlass and pointed it to my face. Then I knew I was in for big trouble.

“I quickly called my little grandson, went inside and shut my door. They were there for hours as I watch the cows ate my vegetables, pepper and also watched how they dug my heaps of yams with their legs and eat my long-awaited ready-to-be harvested yams.

“I quickly reached for my drugs because I have been managing high blood pressure for some time. I quickly took my boy and went out through the back door where they could not see me because I didn’t know their next move as we were alone in the house.

“I quickly left the house through the back door, dropped my boy with a neighbour and took an Okada to Amotekun’s office for help.

“I was so glad that immediately I narrated my ordeal, they followed me to my house and got them arrested.”

But, the arrested herder, who said he came from Kastina State, regretted his action.

Musa said: “It was a mistake. This is a mistake for me. I have been living in Akure for over 30 years without having trouble with anyone.

“I was not around when the incident occurred. It was my little boys that were undergoing training on how to become herders that misbehaved.

“I was at Sabo area in Akure when it all happened. The younger one goes out with the senior while on training.”

The state Commander of Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, said: “We got a distress call from a woman that her farm has been destroyed by herders and that her life was under threat.

“Our response team moved immediately and we met the cows ravaging the farmland. We also met two underaged shepherds as this is clearly against the law put in place by the state government.”

“You would recall, that the Ondo State government has banned underaged grazing and wanton destruction of food crops.

“This is the reason we got them arrested knowing fully well that their father will show up.

Adeleye said that the children would be charged to juvenile court to face the law.