A mysterious thunder has reportedly struck and killed over thirty-six cows Fulani Herdsmen cows in Ijare, a community in Ifedore local government area of Ondo State.
During the weekend, the Fulani herdsmen who were rearing the cows were said to have led them to the top of a hill known as Oke-Owa, a sacred mountain where the king of the community performs certain annual traditional rites.
A source in the community has described the incident as the wrath of their gods on the herdsmen saying the gods became angry because herdsmen desecrated the sacred moutain.
It was gathered that the Fulani herdsmen who were alleged to be have occupying the top of the hill for about five days had been warned by the community’s Chiefs to move away from the hill before the disaster struck.
A local hunter had on Sunday morning alerted the community of the incident.
“On Saturday, I saw the Fulani herdsmen with their cows while they were entering the bush and climbing the mountains.
“But this morning, a hunter that was passing came to inform us that he saw the same cows but they were already dead.
“We rushed there and was shocked to find the cows all dead,” one resident, who identified herself only as Amara, said.
Speaking on the incident, High Chief Wemimo Olaniran, the Sapetu of Ijare kingdom, who described the incident as an act of God stressed that the development is not the first time such will be happening to those who desecrated the grove.
“We were there this morning and we saw about 36 cows dead apart from the one inside the bush. It has happened and there is nothing we can do, we regards it as the act of God which nobody can query,” he said.
“There had been occasions like that but not as massive we are having it now, to some individuals who desecrated the land. In the past we did witnessed thunderbolt attack, when you desecrated any part of Ijare particularly the sacred places.
“The dead cows will be there forever; it is part of the history in our land for people to see as testimony in future that such a thing happens, a whole Oba buried there live and heaven did not fall talk less of ordinary cows.
“Oke-Owa is a sacred hill where the Oba and some of his chiefs visited once a year during new yam festival to offer sacrifices on behalf of the community. Even those chiefs accompanying the Oba must not go to the inner part of the hill because there is a particular place where only the Oba have to enter and spend a night.
“This is a hill that the herdsmen wanted to desecrate with their herds. It is a taboo. When we heard about the incident, we invited the herdsmen and they confirmed that it was thunder that struck the cows.
“We went to the police station to report the matter and the Divisional Police Officer was contacted before chiefs including myself went there.
“Those cows would remain there and rotten because nobody must touch them otherwise there would be problem.”
Reacting to the incident, the Public Relations Officer, Ondo State Police Command, SP Femi Joseph described the incident as a natural disaster.
