The Odeda Division of the Ogun State Police Command has arrested a herdsman, Sandar Umaru, after his cattle reportedly destroyed about N1 million worth of farm produce in the Agere village of Odeda.
Our reporter gathered from a resident on Saturday that the farm now belongs to a farmer’s widow, who was the original owner, and recently died.
“The grazing cattle destroyed items like cassava, plantains, cocoa, etc. The woman is just a widow and the farm is probably the only asset left behind by her late husband for the woman to keep making a living. So it’s sad,” the resident, identified simply as Habeeb, said.
The police said the widow, identified as Oluwole Kehinde, was able to identify one of the suspected herdsmen but noted that another herdsman involved in the incident fled the scene, abandoning the cattle on the way.
The Police Public Relations Officer, SP Omolola Odutola, said the incident took place around 3:30 PM on the fateful day this week.
“The 42-year-old woman named Oluwole Kehinde, from Arege Village in Odeda, visited the police station to file the report. She stated that she had just completed her period of widowhood on December 17, 2024, and had gone to her late husband’s farm in Arege.
“At the farm, she discovered that crops, including cassava, plantains, pineapples, and cocoa, valued at approximately one million naira (N1,000,000), had been destroyed by cattle herders grazing on the land. She mentioned being able to identify the suspects, as she had seen them at the scene,” the PPRO said.
Odutola added that in response, the Divisional Police Officer dispatched detectives to the farm, where they arrested a 25-year-old man named Sandar Umaru.
“His partner managed to escape while attempting to control the cattle and move them to the RUGA.
“The Fulani leaders have been informed about the incident, and the police are closely monitoring the situation. The Divisional Crime Branch is conducting further investigations, and updates will follow as the case progresses,” she added.
