Her media aide, Olamilekan Olusada, on Saturday, March 8, quoted Rep Akande-Sadipe as saying that this had jeopardised the livelihood of farmers, exacerbating the economic crises and food insecurity of the region.
Akande-Sadipe said the dire situation compelled her to raise the concern in the House of Representatives under a matter of urgent public importance in a motion.
According to her, the motion was focused on the need to avert further loss of lives, humanitarian and food security crisis as a result of the invasion by the herdsmen, on the floor of the House earlier in the week.
She called on relevant arms of the Federal Government and security agencies to intervene before residents are completely wiped out from their ancestral homes.
Akande-Sadipe, who chairs the House Committee on Humanitarian Services, pointedly accused the armed herdsmen of “a deliberate agenda to destroy farm produce, intimidate local farmers, and use weapons, such as guns and cutlasses, to instil fear, thereby jeopardising the livelihoods of farmers, exacerbating the economic crises and food insecurity of the region.”
She further noted that despite multiple reports to law enforcement agencies, no decisive action had been taken to address the situation, leaving farmers vulnerable and unprotected.
“The failure to act swiftly has emboldened the perpetrators, leading to increased attacks, destruction of crops, and threats to lives and property, with the risk of further escalation, if immediate action is not taken,” she warned.
Rep Akande-Sadipe recalled the resolution of the Igangan crisis in 2021, where decisive steps were taken to address similar issues, including the enforcement of anti-open grazing laws and the deployment of security forces to restore peace and protect farmers in the area.
She called for an immediate investigation of the reported cases of intimidation, destruction of farmlands, and use of weapons by herdsmen in Oluyole constituency and ensure the arrest and prosecution of perpetrators to serve as a deterrent to others.