The Ogun State Police Command announced on Friday that it has opened an investigation into a case of arson involving cattle herdsmen who allegedly set fire to a large cassava field in Adao Village, via Alabata, Abeokuta, the state capital.
CSP Omolola Odutola, a spokesperson for the state police command, confirmed this in a statement to the press on Friday.
Odutola stated, “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 herdsmen commanded the cattle to flee, but he managed to apprehend one of the cows, which he brought to the police station as evidence.”
Furthermore, 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 between the farmers and herdsmen.
Odutola added that preliminary investigations began promptly, resulting in the identification of the owner of the seized cow, while the complainant assessed the damage to his field to be N27.3 million.
She noted that to guarantee a complete and unbiased inquiry, the case has been sent to the surveillance division for additional inquiries and required legal action.
Odutola stated that the command has promised the public that justice will be served and encouraged all parties to be calm while the arson investigation is ongoing.
She insisted that the command is still committed to maintaining law and order, preventing inter-group confrontations, and protecting the rights of all citizens.
