Oyo State House of Assembly, yesterday, condemned Sunday’s attack on the people of Iwere-Ile in Iwajowa Council of Oyo State by suspected Fulani herders, which left at least seven persons dead.
The Assembly also called on Oyo State Police Command to beef up security in the area and arrest the Fulani herdsmen, who allegedly perpetrated the killings, and directed its committee on security to invite the leadership of Miyetti Allah in the state.
The resolutions followed a matter of urgent public importance brought before the House by member representing Iwajowa State Constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly, Anthony Ogunsola.
The plenary, presided over by Deputy Speaker, Hon. Muhammad Fadeyi, warned Fulani herders against encroaching on people’s lands and destroying their farmlands.
Fadeyi, who sympathised with the people of Iwere-Ile on the sad development, said all security agents must put measures in place to forestall future attacks and destruction by Fulani herdsmen.
“Our people are mainly farmers and the Fulani depend on their cattle for survival. It is completely unacceptable for the herders to be destroying our people’s farmlands. We will not take this, hence we are appealing to the Oyo State Commissioner of Police to ensure the fleeing herdsmen, who perpetrated the killings are not only arrested but also prosecuted.”
The Deputy Speaker said trouble started on Sunday, when some Fulani herdsmen, whose cattle invaded a farm in Apakolo village in Iwere-Ile killed the farm owner, Mr. Kege Mayowa, when he challenged the invaders.
“After the killing, a team of joint security agents, comprising Operation Burst, Police, Amotekun, LG Vigilante, and members of Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC), were alerted and immediately mobilised to the scene.
“But on sighting the team of security operatives, the herdsmen opened fire and this resulted in the death of Mr. Ojo Yakubu (Amotekun operative), Mr. Wasiu Salau, a.k.a Federal, and Mr. Akeem Iroko.
“The herdsmen also wounded another Amotekun officer, Mr. Kazeem Hammed, while leaving many others wounded and receiving treatment at different hospitals.”
According to him, the crisis escalated on Monday, 1 claimed three more lives in the Fulani community. Ogunsola called for drastic action by security agents to prevent the situation from degenerating into a full blown crisis as the Fulanis have started laying ambush on farm roads, a situation, he lamented, has prevented farmers in Iwere-Ile from going to their farms.
