…allegedly by Fulani headsmen
Youths under the auspices of Ondo State Youth Coalition and farmers across the 18 local government areas of the state Wednesday poured into the streets of Akure, the state capital, to protest the rape of a 72-year-old woman, Victoria Akinseye, by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Akinseye and another woman, Ebun Olanrewaju, were reportedly raped in their farms in Ore, Odigbo Local Government area of the state.
Narrating her ordeal, Akinseye said she was working on her farm on the fateful day when the two Fulani herdsmen took turns to rape her.
“I was working on the farm when the two men invaded my farm and before I could question them on their mission, they gagged me and tore my clothes before they raped me one after the other.
“They threatened to kill me thereafter if I made any noise and left me in the farm after injuring me,” the old woman said.
The youths, who described the development as a dangerous signal, threatened to take laws into their hands if the state government failed to act.
The OSYC coordinator, Oluwatuyi Adekanmbi, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, said besides raping women and destroying farms in the state, herdsmen had also resorted into killing, terrorising and kidnapping farmers in their farmlands.
“One of our farmers, Orimisan Omowole, was murdered in his farm in Odigbo Local Government area of the state. After killing him, they took out his heart and placed it on his chest
“We are not against cattle rearing or saying cattle rearing should be banned, but we want free grazing of cattle in our farms at our expense with wanton destructions of our crops and means of livelihood to be stopped forthwith.
“Cattle rearing is a legitimate and profitable business worldwide. But it is not acceptable for a group of Nigerian private cattle rearers to be doing their business at the expense of our lives and security.
“We believe the herdsmen have refused to do what civilised herdsmen do worldwide by confining cattle to ranches and similar enclosure because to do so would mean bearing the cost of feeding their cattle,” Adekanmbi said.
The group urged the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, and the state House of Assembly to enact a law that will effectively stop the incessant attacks from the herdsmen.
“They threatened to kill me thereafter if I made any noise and left me in the farm after injuring me,” the old woman said.
The youths, who described the development as a dangerous signal, threatened to take laws into their hands if the state government failed to act.
The OSYC coordinator, Oluwatuyi Adekanmbi, who spoke on behalf of the protesters, said besides raping women and destroying farms in the state, herdsmen had also resorted into killing, terrorising and kidnapping farmers in their farmlands.
“One of our farmers, Orimisan Omowole, was murdered in his farm in Odigbo Local Government area of the state. After killing him, they took out his heart and placed it on his chest
“We are not against cattle rearing or saying cattle rearing should be banned, but we want free grazing of cattle in our farms at our expense with wanton destructions of our crops and means of livelihood to be stopped forthwith.
“Cattle rearing is a legitimate and profitable business worldwide. But it is not acceptable for a group of Nigerian private cattle rearers to be doing their business at the expense of our lives and security.
“We believe the herdsmen have refused to do what civilised herdsmen do worldwide by confining cattle to ranches and similar enclosure because to do so would mean bearing the cost of feeding their cattle,” Adekanmbi said.
The group urged the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, and the state House of Assembly to enact a law that will effectively stop the incessant attacks from the herdsmen.
