Sunday Igboho, Save Us From Herdsmen, Amotekun Has Failed Us – Oyo Community Begs

Residents of a community in Oyo state have begged Yoruba activist Sunday Igboho to save them from herdsmen.

Outspoken Yoruba activist, Sunday Igboho has been called upon to come to the rescue of villagers in Kajola via Ayete in the Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State.

The community members begged Chief Sunday Adeyemo aka Sunday Igboho to come to their rescue from a group of armed herdsmen headed by one Iskilu Wakil.

One of the farmers in the village, Peter David, alleged in an interview with Punch on Sunday that Wakil and his fellow armed Fulani men had driven away farmers from the village since they served him a notice to quit.

David said government security agencies, including Amotekun Corps, had failed to confront Wakil, accused of having sophisticated weapons and terrorising the villagers.

He said the people had been suffering incessant attacks and destruction of their farms from Wakil and his gang for long and added they had asked him to vacate their land when the Seriki Fulani in Igangan, Salihu Abdukadir, was given a quit notice by Igboho.

David, who owns a farm in Kajola village, narrated that the people, who came from Ayete to hand over the quit notice to the Fulani leader, narrowly escaped because they were well fortified.

He said, “When the crisis started in Igangan, the owners of the land where Wakil is staying also said he should leave. Those ones were attacked and they ran back.

“He (Wakil) has driven farmers away from the village. This is harvest time for cashew and the people have been driven out. The cashew nuts are either wasting, or Fulani people are harvesting them.

“Just a few of us are still around; all the women and children and some men have fled the village. Even those of us in the village also go to town at night.

“Some soldiers came and we were told the Fulani did not allow them (soldiers) to go into their settlement. They were said to have discussed with them on the road but they were not allowed into their settlement.

“We are pleading with Chief Sunday Igboho to come to our rescue. The police and Amotekun have refused to help us. So, we will appreciate it if he can come here also to help us.”

The Asawo of Ayete, Oba Emmanuel Okeniyi, had earlier told Punch that Wakil had become a terror to the villagers.

The Commandant of Amotekun in Oyo State, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (retd.), said he was not aware of the villagers’ claims.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, had also earlier advised the people in the area to report anybody constituting a threat to them to the police in the area.