A member of the House of Representatives, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, on Saturday, raised the alarm that armed herdsmen have invaded Ogunmakin, Gambari Reserve, and surrounding communities within the Oluyole Federal Constituency in Oyo State.
Akande-Sadipe, in a statement by her Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Olamilekan Olusada, in Ibadan, the state capital, alleged that herdsmen have been destroying farm produce, intimidating local farmers, and using weapons such as guns and cutlasses to instil fear in residents of the communities.
She said the action had jeopardised the livelihoods of farmers, exacerbating the economic crises and food insecurity of the region.
The lawmaker said she raised this concern in a matter of urgent public importance in a motion on the need to avert further loss of lives and humanitarian and food security crises as a result of the invasion of farmlands by armed herdsmen in Oluyole Federal constituency on the floor of the House earlier in the week.
Akande-Sadipe, therefore, called on relevant arms of the Federal Government and security agencies to intervene before the people are completely wiped out from their ancestral homes.
She lamented that despite multiple reports to law enforcement agencies, no decisive action has been taken to address the situation, leaving farmers vulnerable and unprotected.
“The failure to act swiftly has emboldened the perpetrators, leading to increased attacks, destruction of crops, and threats to lives and property, with the risk of further escalation if immediate action is not taken.” She added.
The parliamentarian called for “an immediate investigation of the reported cases of intimidation, destruction of farmlands, and use of weapons by herdsmen in the area and ensure the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators to serve as a deterrent to others.”
Akande-Sadipe asked “the House to call on the National Emergency Management Agency and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to provide immediate relief materials and support to affected farmers and communities to mitigate the impact of the crisis on their livelihoods, enable them to recover from losses incurred, and resume agricultural activities.
“I also beg for an immediate conduct of an on-the-spot assessment of the situation in Ogunmakin, Gambari Reserve, and environs and engage with relevant stakeholders, including the state government, security agencies, and community leaders, to develop a sustainable solution to the crisis.”
(The PUNCH)
