Armed herdsmen have again struck at the farm of former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Olu Falae, in Akure, Ondo State, engaging police officers in a gun battle in the process.

Mr. Falae said he had been witnessing herdsmen grazing on his farm repeatedly in the past three weeks and decided to seek the help of the police.

It was learnt that when the 15 police officers found them grazing on Thursday and tried to approach them, the herdsmen opened fire.

The herdsmen, said to be 10 in number, immediately left the farm located at Kajola, along Igbatoro Road, after the shootout.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered that several cows were killed in the encounter as the herdsmen fled at the superior fire power of the police officers.
The Ondo police spokesperson, Femi Joseph, who confirmed the incident, said no life was lost in the encounter.

Mr. Falae was kidnapped in September 2015 by Fulani herdsmen and was only let go after four days and the payment of a N5million ransom.
“I invited the police to my farm because the herdsmen have been coming to the farm every day for several weeks and they are no longer hiding,” the Afenifere chieftain said, while speaking on the incident on Thursday.

“They come into the farm around 5 a.m. till 9 a.m., destroyed the farm, so I went to the police for protection and some policemen were sent to the farm.
“They got to the farm and met three separate herds feeding fat on my farm. When the police approached them, they fired at the policemen.”

Mr. Joseph, however, said the policemen succeeded in flushing out the herdsmen from the farm.
He said no arrest was made, but the command had set up a high-powered investigation into the matter.

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