Operatives of the Amotekun Corps in Ondo have apprehended four herders for allegedly destroying the cassava farm of the erstwhile Commissioner for Information, in the state, Eddy Olafeso, 

Mr Olafeso, who is also a chieftain of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, had a forthright ago raised the alarm on the destruction of his farmland worth N10 million. 

The ex-commissioner wrote a letter to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, to complain about the destruction of his farmland located in Igbara Oke, Ifedore Local Government Area of the state.

Lamenting in the letter, the former commissioner told Mr Akeredolu that the cattles turned his 30 hectares of farmland under the Ondo State Agribusiness Empowerment Center in Igbara Oke into a “grazing field,” destroying all the produce. 

Speaking on Sunday, the Commander of the Amotekun Corps in Ondo, Adetunji Adeleye, said the suspects were tracked to a neighbouring town in Ekiti where they were arrested after destroying the cassava farm.

“We (Amotekun Corps) arrested some (herders) of those that engaged in the destruction of the farm of one of the principal officers of PDP that went viral,” Mr Adeleye revealed. “We caught them and we brought them back. Four of them that were involved.”

He explained, “We have got the owner of the farmland. We equally allowed them to meet with the owners of the cattles and they are already in talk.” 

While noting that the government of Ondo state was strict with its anti-open grazing law, Mr Adeleye noted that the suspects would face the full wrath of the law, stressing that they would soon be charged in court. 

“But regardless of what they do, they have contravened the anti-open grazing law, so they must fulfil the righteousness by going through the normal judicial system.

“Again, the anti-open grazing law is in force in Ondo State where we discouraged the use of underaged for grazing, especially when they engage in destruction of farm products,” the Ondo Amotekun Commander added. 

On August 31, 2021, Mr Akeredolu signed the Ondo State anti-open grazing bill into law following its consistent demand by people of the South over the unwholesome activities of the herders in the region. 

“The move is in line with the resolution of the Southern Governors’ Forum at its last meeting in Lagos where September 1st was set as the deadline for Governors in Southern Nigeria to sign the Anti-Open Grazing Bill into law,” Donald Ojogo, the then State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, was quoted the governor to have said.