Fulani herdsmen open fire on policemen guarding Olu Falae's farm near Akure

FIFTEEN policemen narrowly escaped death at the farm of former finance minister and secretary to the federal government Chief Olu Falae after it was attacked by Fulani cattle herdsmen over the weekend.

Two years ago, Chief Falae was abducted by herdsmen who kidnapped him and kept him for several days until he was rescued by the police. His farm has long been a scene of clashes between security officials and the herdsmen who constantly bring their cattle there to graze and damage crops.

Over the weekend, the herdsmen returned, opening fire on them in the farm. Apparently, the herdsmen numbering about 10, stormed Chief Falae’s farm located at Kajola in Igbatoro area of Akure North Local Government of Ondo State and destroyed it.

News of the incident came just as the federal government announced that it would deploy 3,000 specially trained agro rangers across the country to checkmate the menace of herdsmen whose activities had impacted negatively on farm produce in recent years. Over the weekend, the destruction of the farm prompted Chief Falae to invite the police, only for the herdsmen to attack the policemen deployed by the state police commissioner Hilda Harrison.

During last weekend’s renewed invasion of his farm, it was gathered that when the herdsmen sighted the policemen, they  opened fire on them, leading to an exchange of gunfire. At the time of the incident, eyewitnesses said over 300 cows had been let loose on the farm by the herdsmen to graze and during the deadly exchange, some cows were killed, while the herdsmen were said to have fled in different directions.

Chief Falae said: “I invited the police to my farm because the herdsmen have been coming everyday for several weeks and they are no longer hiding. They come into the farm around 5am till 9 am and destroy the farm, so I went to the police for protection and some policemen were sent to the farm at the weekend.

“They got to the farm and met three separate herds feeding fat on my crops, but when the police approached them they fired at the police. The policemen went there to see if they could arrest them for trespassing and destroying farm produce, so, if the herdsmen fired at the police what would they do to me?”

Police spokesman Femi Joseph, said he was aware that policemen were deployed in the farm to arrest the trespassing herdsmen. However, he said he was not aware of any exchange of gunfire between the police and the herdsmen, adding that the intruders were pursued from the farm.