Oyo records 100 farmers–herders clashes monthly — NSCDC

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Oyo State Command, said the command recorded no fewer than 100 cases of farmers-herders clashes monthly in the state.

The command spokesman, Mr Samuel Opebiyi, disclosed this while speaking in an interview with newsmen on Friday in Ibadan.

Opebiyi said that some of the issues resulting from the farmers-herders clashes in the state ranged from grazing on farmland and cattle poisoning among others.

He said the Agro-Rangers, an important arm of NSCDC has recorded a lot of successes in taming the farmers-herders clashes issues from escalating into serious security matters.

“Some of these issues have been resolved amicably through the adoption of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) for peaceful coexistence.

“You know the objective of the government in agriculture in ensuring food security cannot be achieved without peace between farmers and herders.

“So, we make sure we have an environment in which farmers and herders can co-exist with their farming activities and cattle rearing,” he said.

Opebiyi said that each region of the state has their peculiar security challenges, adding that clashes usually happened in Oluyole, Oke-Ogun and Ibarapa axis of the state.

The command spokesman admitted that the NSCDC Agro-Rangers personnel could not spread to some communities as expected due to inadequate manpower.

“We are seriously working in that regard to strengthen them in future in order to adequately address the issue of farmers-herders clashes in the state,” he said.

He said the presence of NSCDC Agro-Ranger in some communities in Oyo State has helped in curbing farmers-herders clashes and other related crime in the state.