Killing of farmers by herdsmen in Oyo, Ogun must stop — Igboho 22nd October 2023

Killing of farmers by herdsmen in Oyo, Ogun must stop — Igboho

The Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, on Sunday, called on security operatives to, as a matter of urgency, curtail the resurgence of suspected Fulani herdsmen killings farmers in Iwere-Ile, Iwajowa Local Government Area and some other towns in Oke Ogun axis of Oyo State.

It was reported that many people were confirmed dead when suspected Fulani herdsmen ambushed security operatives at Apalokun village in Iwe-Irele, on Sunday, October 15, who were on their way to restore peace in the community.

Adeyemo, in a personally signed statement forwarded to The PUNCH in Ibadan, the state capital, said, “We are calling on the Police, the Department of State Security, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigerian Army to address the fragile security breaches now before the situation gets out of hand.”

He also stated that the pocket of alleged skirmishes between some rogue herdsmen and farmers in some parts of Ogun state should be urgently addressed by the security apparatus with a view not to disrupt the peace of agrarian settlements.

The Yoruba agitator further said, “We are saddened that the killings of our farmers innocently earning their living have started rearing their ugly heads again. This worrisome development calls for sober reflection bearing in mind the current hardship in the country.

“The recent ambush and killing of operatives of Amotekun Security Corps, including other security agents who were trying to restore normalcy in the Iwere-Ile community after the suspected Fulani herdsmen have murdered our kinsmen in Iwere-Ile must be investigated and the culprits must be made to face the music.

“While we commend the state Governor, Seyi Makinde and his counterpart in Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun for their efforts to ensure peace and healthy developments in their respective states. We are challenging the heads of security agencies to act now before the situation worsens.

“However, while we believe in the peaceful coexistence in Nigeria regardless of tribe, religion and political cleavages, we are issuing a seven-day ultimatum to Fulani herdsmen killing our people in any part of South-West to vacate our communities now. This warning is very important. We are not going to take laws into our hands, but they must leave.

“For now, we have belief in the capability of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu to ensure and guarantee the safety of lives and properties, particularly farmers in Nigeria. We must not tolerate any act that can further push up the prices of food and other edible commodities.”

He, therefore, appealed to both the Oyo and Ogun State Governors, to as a matter of urgency, deploy more security agents and architectures to all the flashpoints where there are increase in Fulani herdsmen/Farmers clashes for peace to reign.

“Nigerians and our farmers in agrarian settlements need security presence now so that they can engage in small or large-scale farming activities for food production. These killings must stop now for the benefit of all,” Adeyemo insisted.