There was palpable tension among residents in Osogbo as herds of cattle numbering about 1,000 was seen freely moving on roads in the state capital late on Thursday.

The cattle were led by about 12 herdsmen, who claimed to be moving through the state capital to a neighbouring town.

On sighting the cattle on the road along Sir Adesoji Aderemi Way, motorists and shop owners fled and abandoned their cars on the road.

It, however, took the intervention of operatives of Osun Security Network Agency, codenamedAmotekun, to get people to remain calm and forced the herders to direct the cattle away from major routes out of the state.

Osun Amotekun Field Commandant, Amitolu Shittu, while speaking with newsmen on Thursday, said the herders claimed to be passing through bush paths to villages in Ilesa to access water.

“Initially, they wanted to resist instructions to lead the cattle to identified routes out of the state, but they later succumb to our instruction.

“The team escorted the cattle and the herders to the boundary of a neighbouring state before it disembark and allow them to move away,” he said.

(Vanguard)