Residents in Ondo State are fleeing their homes due to relentless attacks by herdsmen, escalating the security crisis and prompting concerns about the efficacy of the Western Nigeria Security Network, known as ‘Amotekun.’ The attacks, characterized by disruptions to business activities, kidnappings, and occasional killings, have raised doubts about the safety of lives and property.
Research indicates that over 4,000 farmers in the Southwestern part of Nigeria have lost their lives to attacks since 2015. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data reveals that Nigeria has lost at least 8,343 individuals in the farmer-herder conflict since 2005. In response to the rising invasion of herders in the Southwest, the governors formed Amotekun on January 9, 2020, aiming to address the security challenges.
Despite state government support, Amotekun struggles to counter persistent attacks from herdsmen, leading some villagers to question the security outfit’s ability to regain control in affected areas. Residents report lonely and frightening journeys due to the overpowering presence of herdsmen, particularly around Ifon.
Monarchs in the region admit to seeking additional local security to support Amotekun but acknowledge the ongoing struggle to repel the assailants effectively. While Amotekun officials remain tight-lipped about the challenges, residents express concerns about the security network’s limitations in certain parts of the state.
One resident, Joe, highlights the powerlessness of Amotekun in specific areas, leading his parents to abandon their home amid the security crisis. Travelers face attacks and kidnappings, while farmers suffer injuries, destruction of farmlands, and loss of livelihood. The precarious security situation prompts some farmers to share harrowing experiences of attacks by herdsmen, recounting incidents of uprooted crops and assaults on their farms.
Femi Adeyele, a farmer with a 50-hectare farmland, shares his ordeal of encountering herdsmen who uprooted his cassava and attacked him. Another farmer, Yele Adaranijo, narrates the herdsmen’s tactics of laying ambushes, destroying crops, and threatening farmers, leaving them weary and desperate for a resolution to the ongoing crisis. The Yuletide season witnesses an exodus of residents seeking safety as the insecurity in Ondo State reaches critical levels.
