By DAUD OLATUNJI
ABEOKUTA—Ogun State Government yesterday waded into the crisis between Fulani herdsmen and  Yoruba communities in Yewa-North Local Government Area of the state following the recent fracas over grazing rights.

At the meeting, the two warring groups were urged to sheathe their swords and embrace peace.

Skirmishes were said to have occurred in communities like Eggua, Igan-Alade, Igan-Okoto, Igbogila, Imeko, Imala and Iselu towns during which property worth several millions of Naira were reportedly destroyed and unspecified number of people killed.

Present at the meeting  were the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee for Yewa-North Local Government, Kunle Elegbede, Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Sola Akinduro, representatives of the Commissioner of Police and the State Director of State Security Service, Serikin Fulani of Eggua, Serikin Hausawa of Egbaland, royal

fathers from the warring communities as well as representatives of the herdsmen.

Commissioner for Agriculture, Ayo Olubori, who chaired the meeting, after listening to complaints from both sides, appealed to the warring parties to maintain peace, warning that the state government would not condone any acts of lawlessness.

The Special Adviser revealed that as  former Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of operations in the state in 2005, he had advised that  all those found  culpable in the disturbances be

made to face the law to serve as a deterrent to others, but the then government decided to ignore the report.

He asked that a particular portion of land be earmarked as grazing zone, stressing that “if we do that no herdsman should be found grazing outside the zone.”