The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) says it has proofs of farms destroyed by herdsmen livestock across the country.
The MURIC Director, Prof Ishaq Akintola, said this in a statement on Saturday that it now has concrete evidence, including video clips, of the culpability of herdsmen, in which cows destroyed farms belonging to members of the organisation.
He said the organization sent out feelers to its branches across the country asking members to supply information on the activities of herdsmen in their states, including Abuja, and their reports were “overwhelmingly convincing.”.
Akintola said the most recent report from a young member of MURIC in Ogun State, revealed that the herders invaded his five hectares of rice farm Sunday, 31st January 2021 located at the Oyan farm settlement, Ibaro Rice Village, Ibaro in Abeokuta North Local Government, Abeokuta, Ogun State and destroyed his crop.
He said the same happened to Mudiir (principal) of a local Arabic school in Lagos also reported that herders brought cows to invade his father’s cashew farm in Ijomu-Oro, Kwara State.
“Farmers in Zamfara and Katsina have run away from their farms for fear of being killed or kidnapped by bandits,” Akintola said.
“Farmers in Ilesa, Osun State, those in Igangan, Oyo State and those in Ebonyi live in palpable fear of herders.”
He urged the federal government to compensate farmers whose farms were destroyed by herdsmen in all states of the federation, in order toassuage the farmers, douse tension across the country and inject a new dose of confidence in Project Nigeria.
