By; Oladele Adedayo, Ado-Ekiti.
Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Ayodele Fayose has banned grazing and rearing of cattle in the State, saying those interested in cattle farming should get their own private cattle ranch and that a bill to make movement of cattle from one location to another criminal in the state will soon be sent to the State House of Assembly.
Governor Fayose, who made this known when he visited Oke-Ako in Ikole local government area of the state that was invaded last Friday by herdsmen that killed two residents of the town and injured others, warned that government will henceforth confiscate any cattle seen anywhere in the State apart from ranch created for them by their owners.
He also donated a sum of N2.5 million to the families of the deceased as well as gave N2.5 million and a pick-up Van with security gadgets to the local hunters so they could protect their people.
The Governor who was accompanied by the Heads of Security agencies in the state described the herdsmen that attacked Oke-Ako and other communities in the country as “agents of the devil that must be fished out and punished accordingly.”
According to him “We will not leave our lands for Fulani herdsmen and in a system where the leadership of the country looks the other way while our people are being killed, we will have no option than to defend ourselves by whatever means.”
He said; “I have come here to commiserate with the people of Oke-Ako over the murder of two of our people by these evil herdsmen.
“I am also here to assure that this will be the last time your
community will be invaded by herdsmen under whatever guise.
“I have directed that cattle rearing and grazing should stop in Ekiti State and those interested in cattle farming should henceforth do so in their own cattle ranch.
“No more movement of cattle from one location to another in the State and any cattle seen anywhere in Ekiti State apart from the ranch created for them by their owners will be confiscated by the government and their owners will be prosecuted.
“A bill to this effect will be sent to House of Assembly for passage
into law to criminalise cattle owners whose cattle are found moving from one location the other in the State.
“It is our duty to protect our people and we are going to do that without fear or favour.”
The governor reiterated that activities of the Herdsmen was
inimical to the revival of agriculture in the country saying; “one wonders how Nigerians can go back to farming when those already in the farms are losing billions of naira worth of crops to destruction of their farmlands by the Herdsmen and the Federal Government is not doing anything about it.”
