Why some herdsmen agreed to leave Ondo – Amotekun

It said those that agreed to leave could not cope with the terms and conditions of the state government.

The Amotekun Corps said its officials are deployed to escort the herders with their cows to the state borders.

Commander of the Ondo Amotekun Corps, Chief Adetunji Adeleye, who stated this, said 37 herders and 5, 000 cows were arrested in the past two weeks for violating the orders of the state government of vacating the forest reserves in the state.

Chief Adeleye said his men were still in the forest to ensure other erring herders leave.

Adeleye stated that some of the herdsmen said they could not cope with the terms and conditions of the state government and opted to move out of the state peacefully.

According to him, “Some of them have opted to leave the state because they couldn’t meet with our terms and conditions. They came through, the Chairman of Miyatti Allah in the state. Some opted to go to Osun, Edo and Kogi States. So our men escorted them to the boundaries of those states. We have to monitor their movements out of the state so that they would not destroy farms on their way out.

“About 37 herders have been arrested with about 5, 000 cows. Majority of the herders have been coming to us through their chairman and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Hausa Matters. We will hand over the culprits to the chairman to lead them out and anybody caught again after this would be arrested and prosecuted.”

On what happened to farmers whose crops were recently destroyed by herders, Chief Adeleye urged farmers to promptly report to his office.

“It is always difficult for us to trace the herders after they had destroyed the farms but if we are called upon during the act, we will make arrest and ensure that the herders pay for what they destroyed.”