Cattle herders set N27m cassava farm on fire in Ogun

Tamarauemi Ebimini

The Ogun State Police Command on Friday said it has launched a probe into a case of arson involving some cattle herders who allegedly set ablaze a vast cassava farm in Adao Village, via Alabata, Abeokuta, the state capital.

The spokesperson for the state police command, CSP Omolola Odutola, disclosed this in a statement sent to journalists on Friday.

Odutola said, “On February 20, 2025, one Mr. Ogunbayo Adewale of Raka Village reported at the police station that upon visiting his 35-acre cassava farmland on February 19, 2025, at about 1640 hours, he discovered that the farmland had been set ablaze.

“Additionally, some herds of cattle were seen grazing on the farm, and several cassava plants had already been uprooted.

“According to the complainant, upon sighting him, the herders commanded the cattle to flee, but he managed to apprehend one of the cows, which he brought to the police station as evidence.”

She added that in response to the report, the Divisional Police Officer of FUNAAB Harmony immediately deployed grassroots policing strategies to calm rising tensions and prevent a potential tribal conflict.

Odutola explained that preliminary investigations commenced immediately, leading to the identification of the owner of the seized cow while the complainant has equally estimated the damage to his farmland to be at N27.3m.

She stated that to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation, the case has been transferred to the surveillance section for further inquiries and necessary legal action.

Odutola said that the command assured the public that justice will be served and urged all parties to remain calm while the investigation on the arson case is ongoing.

She maintained that the command remains committed to maintaining law and order, preventing inter-group conflicts, and protecting the rights of all citizens.