Dr Eddy Olafeso, the former National Vice Chairman (Southwest) of the Peoples Democratic Party, has lamented the invasion and destruction of his multi-million naira cassava farmland by suspected herdsmen.

Starnews Nigeria reports that Olafeso visited his 30 hectares of cassava farm at Igbaraoke in the Ifedore local government area of Ondo State on Wednesday and discovered that it has been invaded and destroyed by suspected herdsmen.

Olafeso, the Ondo State Coordinator and Southwest Liason Officer of the PDP Presidential Campaign Council, said the cassava plantation was already due for harvest before the invasion and destruction by herdsmen.

Olafeso who lamented his losses in a telephone interview with Starnews Nigeria on Thursday said he has not yet recovered from the shock of the incident considering the millions of naira he invested in the cassava farm project.

He described the invasion as wickedness of the highest order. According to him, “the farm was not only destroyed by the herdsmen, but they also uprooted the cassava to feed their cows”, he lamented.

The former Ondo Commissioner for Information, in a letter to Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, said he has lost over N10m invested in the farm.

According to him: “We arrived at our farm in Igbaraoke this morning, 11th January 2023 to witness the destruction of our cassava farm by herdsmen.

“I went on to inspect our farm on the 23rd of December, 2022 after we completed the weeding of the entire plantation. We were expectant of good harvest but between Christmas and New Year, our farm has been plundered.

“The pain inflicted on the family and the millions of naira lost can only be imagined. Our sweat for over one year was taken away just like that.

Your Excellency, this case was reported to the Amotekun station at Igbaraoke this morning. These evil herdsmen must be brought to book, otherwise, the effect of this insanity will shake the state to its foundation.”

The manager of the farm, Adeola Ariyo, said the herdsmen uprooted the cassava for their cows to feed on.

He stated that workers concluded the weeding of the farm for N600,000 before going for Christmas break.

Ariyo said they returned to the farm to meet the crops destroyed.

He said there were traces of the footprints of the cows and the herdsmen at the cassava farm.

“We planned to embark on the harvesting of the cassava and reinvest the money on more capital projects but the hope has been dashed with the destruction of the cassava farm

“Cows have turned the 30 hectares of land into a grazing field. The herdsmen destroyed the entire farm and destroyed our means of survival.

“I was dazed when I got to the farm and see the destruction and I have to call my master to inform him and he was devastated by the news. The incident has been reported to the office of the Amotekun Corps,” he said.