We Have No Refugees In Benin Republic - Ogun State Government Says

The Ogun State Government has debunked reports being circulated in some news media that people affected by herdsmen attacks in some parts of Yewa North and Imeko-Afon Local Government Areas have fled their communities to seek refuge in the neighboring Republic of Benin.

According to the government, the purported movement of the people was that of those who were not actual inhabitants of the communities, but those who came from the neighbouring country to lease farmlands in the area.

The Chairman, Ogun State Peace Keeping Committee on Farmers/Herders Conflict, Kayode Oladele, made this known on Monday, in his remark at a meeting of the Committee, held at the Obas’ Complex Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Oladele said that there has been no crisis in Yewaland that would warrant its human beings to end up refugees out of the country.

“There become a book that Yewa farmers are actually refugees in Benin Republic, that has no iota of truth. Yewa, being a border community additionally performs host to other humans from our sisters and brothers on the other side of the border, this is at the facet of the Republic of Benin.

“We have the Hohori and some Eguns who come on occasion to rent farmland in Yewaland, live with us and that they had been doing that for years.

So, while issues and conflicts started, the herbal element is for them to go back to their domestic usa. Therefore, among the people which you are seeing aren't truely the unique indigenes of Yewa, they may be the humans from the opposite facet of the border, who because of the crisis have moved to their u . S . A ..

So, it isn't as if Yewa people have relocated, we don’t have a refugee crisis in Yewa, he said.

Oladele additionally stated that the committee at no time asked the human beings of Yewaland to forestall going to their farms, stressing that the committee has no power to achieve this.

The Chairman brought that the committee most effective gave an advice to the people residing in the epicenter of the disaster to stay clear in their farms or pass in businesses if they should go and farm.

According to him, the advice changed into intended for the citizens of the humans in Asa and not the complete of Yewaland.

“There turned into a booklet to the effect that this committee has recommended Yewa farmers now not to go to their farms, certainly, that become erroneous and misrepresentation of our intent, this committee has no power to reserve all and sundry no longer to go to the farm.

“During one in all our fact-locating visits to the affected regions, Asa village is the epicenter of this disaster in Yewa North Local Government.

So, when we were given there, the appearing Baale of the town, after taking us through the wreckage, advised us that there have been fears of drawing close attacks through the herders, but, within the situations they observed yourselves, we recommended them that they could keep on till everything changed into okay and that in the event that they should go out to the farm, then, they ought to go in companies. That advice turned into intended for Asa village and now not for the complete of Yewa”, Oladele submitted.