Fayose warns of reprisal on ‘killer herdsmen’

Ayo Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, says he cannot guarantee that there would be no reprisal on the herdsmen suspected to be behind the attacks in Oke Ako on Friday.

Two people were killed and several others injured in the attacks, according to reports.

In a statement issued on Sunday, Fayose said there is a limit to the patience of the Ekiti people.

He said: “I am sounding a note of warning to the herdsmen and those who can talk to them should also do so now. If they continue with these wanton attacks, killing of the people and destruction of farmlands in Ekiti, I cannot guarantee that there won’t be reprisal attacks.

“I can also not guarantee the level that the reprisal attacks can get to because as a governor, it is my responsibility to defend and protect my people.”

He said he would do everything humanly possible to stop further attacks.

“I will not fold my hands while armed herdsmen invade communities in Ekiti, killing people and destroying farmlands at will as they have done in other states,” he said.

“I have directed the police and other security agencies in the State to fish out the killer herdsmen. I am in constant touch with the security agencies and I hope that the killer herdsmen will be fished out wherever they are and made to face the full wrath of the law.

“The people of Oke-Ako should therefore remain calm while the security agents do their job. However, the security agents must be mindful of the fact that the people’s patience has a limit and they must therefore act promptly and decisively.

He said the attacks on farmers would hurt the revival of agriculture in the country.

“Farmlands costing billions of naira have been destroyed in states in the south-west, south-east and north-central zones of the country. One wonders how Nigerians can go back to farming when those already in the farms are losing billions of naira worth of crops to destruction of their farmlands by the herdsmen and the federal government is not doing anything about it,” he said.