Herdsmen attack: Ondo govt appeals for restraint, warns against self-help

 The Ondo State government has advised residents, especially farmers to report any invasion of farmlands and unauthorised grazing to the Police, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, South-West Security Network, codename Amotekun, and other security agencies.

This is as it stated that none is permitted to resort to self-help.

The state came about the directive after a State Security Council meeting held in response to renewed hostilities between farmers and herders resulting in casualties in some boundary towns between Ondo and Edo states.

State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Donald Ojogo, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

According to the statement, “Undoubtedly, the latest killings are barbaric and condemnable even as efforts have been deepened to apprehend the culprits through inter-state co-operation and synergy.

“Government, however, believes strongly that such situations are avoidable if security agencies are always afforded the opportunity to intervene before the escalation of violence.

“Residents are, therefore, urged to abide by this directive and trust in the capacity of our security agencies to enforce to the fullest, provisions of the Anti-open Grazing Law that is in operation in the state.

“Henceforth, any confirmed report of self-help that impairs the operations of security agencies shall be viewed as unhelpful to government’s efforts at any given instance.”