Fulani herdsmen on Friday attacked and stabbed a farmer into unconsciousness in Akure, the Ondo State capital, while he was working on his farm.
This despite the order by the government asking them to vacate the forests reserves in the state.
It was learnt that the farmer was rescued and rushed to a nearby hospital by fellow farmers who were alerted to the attack.
It was gathered that the injured farmer, whose name could not yet be ascertained as of the time of filing this report, was battling for his life.
A youth advocate in the state, Oluyemi Fasipe, confirmed the attack on Friday, saying the cassava farmer was stabbed for refusing the herdsmen access to his farmland.
He said, “Disturbing News; Fulani herdsmen stabbed a farmer in Akure, Ondo State today because he tried to stop them from destroying his farm and feeding his cassava to cows. The farmer, who was rescued by other farmers, is said to be in a very critical condition.”
The Ondo State government on Tuesday vowed that it would not rescind the ultimatum it issued to herdsmen to vacate its forest reserves within seven days.
The Special Adviser to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on Security Matters, Alhaji Jimoh Dojumo, said the state government was determined to put an end to cases of kidnapping and killing in the state.
This was sequel to an order by the state governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, on Monday, asking Fulani herdsmen to vacate all forest reserves in the state within the next seven days.
Akeredolu in a statement had also banned the movement of cattle within cities and highways, as well as night grazing.
Akeredolu’s directive was informed by the killings and kidnappings happening in the state, which have largely been blamed on Fulani herdsmen.
He also ordered the clearing of bushes on the highways across the 18 local government areas of the state in order to allow for a proper view of the highway.
The Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria had said that the agreement it had with the Ondo State government was to stop night grazing and use of underage boys for grazing cows, adding that at no time did the governor tell them to vacate the forest reserves.
