The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, on Friday, raised the alarm over the incessant attacks on and kidnapping of farmers and other innocent citizens in the region.
Afenifere, in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, added that there were several such incidents in various parts of Yorubaland and elsewhere in Nigeria that are unreported.
The organisation revealed that during its recent visits to the Oke-Ogun Area and northern part of Oyo and Ondo States respectively, some people lamented that they have abandoned their farms for three major reasons.
It said, “First, one is fear of being kidnapped; second is the serious fall in prices that farmers could sell their proceeds as middlemen/middle-women (known as ‘Onibaranda’) are standing between them and direct purchasers, while the third reason is grazing on farmlands by unscrupulous herders that have not stopped despite several lamentations, warnings and steps taken.
“Among the recent instances were the killing of a female farmer in Ondo State, the abduction of a 33-year old poultry farmer, Ooreoluwa Osonuga, in Ikenne, Ogun State, killings of four farmers in Oke-Ogun Area of Oyo State, abduction of Debo Farounbi in Ora, Osun State.
“Abductors of the latter, Farounbi, who was kidnapped on June 9, 2026, have refused to release him despite the payment of N30 million, according to sources. They are even asking for more money and motorcycles!
“In June this year, the All Farmers Association of Nigeria disclosed that “persistent abductions of farmers, farm workers and agribusiness investors in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states had discouraged investment, reduce, d agricultural productivity and endangered the livelihoods of thousands of farming familiesaccording to newspapers’ reports on June 9, 2026.
“Many farmers now abandon their farms due to fear of abduction, ransom demands and violent attacks,”
Afenifere explained that a prominent farmer in Ondo State, Eddy Olafeso, who owns 10 hectares of land, on which he produces cassava, cocoa, yam, plantain and other crops, lamented that he had abandoned his farmland mainly “because of insecurity.”
The group stressed that the President of Cowpea and Beans Farmers Association of Nigeria and Vice President of Federation of Agricultural Commodities Association, Shitu Kabir, stated that production of these commodities has dropped by almost 70 per cent at least in the north.
