Residents Call For Immediate Ban On Open Grazing In Ilesa
- As Herders Allegedly Destroy Cassava Farm Worth N5m
Residents of Ilesa in Osun State have called for the immediate ban on open grazing to forestall breakdown of law and order in the area.
The call was necessitated by the recent destruction of a seven-acre cassava farm, belonging to one Prince Adebanjo Adebiyi.
OSUN DEFENDER gathered that the farm, located at the Leventis Foundation in Ilesa, was destroyed by suspected Fulani herders, operating from Obokun Avenue, Ilesa East Local Government, a nearby settlement.
The medium learnt that the farm was destroyed between the night of February 10 and 11, 2026.
The farmer estimated the total loss at about ₦5 million, describing the damage as extensive.
He further revealed that one of the herders allegedly involved had offered to settle the matter with a payment of ₦500,000, which he considered grossly inadequate compared to the scale of investment and loss incurred.
However, community members have expressed concern over recurring clashes between farmers and herders in the area, calling for urgent intervention to prevent further destruction and ensure peaceful coexistence.
Reacting through social media posts, Micheal Butter, stressed that the matter must be taken seriously with the intervention of the Commissioner of Police and local authorities.
“Before you know it, the owner of the Farm will be invited by the Commissioner of Police and he will be detained. Please let our leaders in Ijesa land take action on the said matter, before it gets out of hand. If this criminal act is not properly handled as expected, it could discourage others who are interested in farming,” he stated.
“This is the area our king needs to step in and ban anyone from open grazing and make public announcements, and they must give out a number people can call if the they see anyone with cows around the street, both at day and night. This is totally unacceptable and this is the right time to install CCTV cameras on every street,” Sunday David wrote.
According to Akeem Adewale, “Most of those cows are owned by Generals in the military and they usually settle our so-called leaders or chiefs before they start operation in any area you come across cases like this. That is why most of these cases don’t carry weight.”
Yusuf Oketola is a trained journalist with over five years of experience in the media industry. He has worked for both print and online medium. He is a thorough-bred professional with an eye of hindsight on issues bothering on social justice, purposeful leadership, and a society where the leaders charge and work for the prosperity of the people.
