By Publisher
Some operatives of the Ondo State Security Network, also known as Amotekun, were on Friday evening attacked and wounded by some suspected herdsmen.
The incident occurred in the Sango area along the Ado Ekiti road in Akure North Local Government Area of the state.
The Amotekun operatives had arrested about 120 cows in a farm for flouting the open grazing law in the state but the herdsmen fled.
However, they launched an attack on the operatives, as they were moving the cows out of the farm to their headquarters in Alagbaka area of Akure, with dangerous weapons, including stones, bottles, cutlasses and guns.
This resulted in varying degrees of injuries on the Amotekun operatives. One of them lapsed into a coma after being hit with stones and cutlasses.
According to Jimoh Adeniken, spokesperson of the Corps in Ondo, who confirmed the incident, the arrest of the cows followed constant complaints from farmers from Igoba and Osi areas of Akure North Local Government over the issue.
“During the operation, the corps surveillance team was led to the farms by the owners. On getting there, they met over 120 cows ravaging the farms and there was nobody with the cows,” he narrated.
“Determined to enforce the anti-open grazing law of the state, the operatives of the Amotekun corps moved the cows out of the farms, and while passing by the Sango area, at Igoba, along Ado road in Akure, groups of armed Fulani herdsmen attacked the officers with stones, bottles, cutlasses, and guns.
“Thereafter, the corps retreated based on the order from the state Headquarters of the Amotekun corps.
“The assailants continued to throw stones and bottles till they invaded the main road and hacked one of the Amotekun officers to a coma while attempting to disarm the officers and men of the Amotekun corps.
“Sequentially, the officers of the Amotekun Corps shot into the air to dislodge them and move back to the office.
“Unfortunately, other officers sustained varying degrees of injuries during the attack and they are currently receiving medical attention at the hospital”
Adenike further said the Corps has identified the owner of the cows, adding that investigation into the incident continues.
“Government will continue to pursue with vigour, through lawful means, to ensure strict compliance of the law with a view to ensuring that the efforts of farmers would not be truncated through destruction of their farmlands by herders and their cows” he bowed.
“Officers of the corps will, however, continue to carry out its legal functions of protecting people of the state as well as their properties.”
