Education

Multimillion Naira Unilorin’s Research Farms Destroyed by Herdsmen

Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem, who held a security meeting with the leaders of 11 Fulani settlements located on the institution’s land, lamented over the destruction of the school’s multi-million-naira research and training farms by cattle belonging to unidentified herdsmen.

Present in the meeting in which Unilorin’s VC chancellor warned that the management of the university would no longer tolerate illegal grazing on its land, were representatives of law enforcement agencies; the Nigerian Police Force, the Department of State Security Services and the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps.

VC Abdulkareem also told the herdsmen that the purpose of the meeting was to decide on a specific deadline for the herdsmen and other illegal settlers to vacate the property, following the three-month extension window granted to the settlers on request in 2017 by Unilorin’s previous Vice Chancellor, Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali.

“We have a multi- million naira programme that is currently at stake now because they (herders) have gone to the extent of uprooting tubers of cassava for their cattle to feed on. We cannot conduct any research or training on the farm again because each time we get to a point where their cattle can feed on it … they go back there and destroy it” VC Abdulkareem said.

However, on his own part, Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, Usman Adamu told the UNIILORIN authorities that the Fulani had been living peacefully in the environment and had even helped in checking crimes, such as kidnappings, robberies, which hitherto occurred on the university campus. He further added that those destroying the university farm land were not living in the community. Adamu also asked for an appropriate response on the matter by February 22, 2018, as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Prof. Sulyman Abdulkareem accused them of violating the agreement they had.