Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
28—Vanguard, FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2019<br />
HERDSMEN: Tension,<br />
anger in South West<br />
•Insecurity assuming a dangerous direction—Monarchs<br />
•The task before govs<br />
By Dayo Johnson<br />
& Dapo Akinrefon<br />
REPORTS across the South-<br />
West states have shown that<br />
the insecurity level<br />
occassioned by the activities of<br />
herdsmen has reached a<br />
threatening point.<br />
The situation is now being likened<br />
to an existential threat by most<br />
stakeholders in the region.<br />
Villages are being attacked at will<br />
by herdsmen without response<br />
from security agencies.<br />
No one is safe as the herdsmen,<br />
not only murder people in remote<br />
but kidnap travellers in the region.<br />
The traditional institution in some<br />
villages, seems threatened, as the<br />
herdsmen have become audcious<br />
to the extent of threatening<br />
monarchs in their palaces.<br />
Concerned by this, various Yoruba<br />
groups, elders and leaders during<br />
the week lampooned the<br />
lackadaisical attitude of the<br />
Federal Government towards the<br />
invasion and unprovoked attacks<br />
by herdsmen across the country<br />
especially in the South-West.<br />
The Yoruba Council of Elders,<br />
YCE, Afenifere, Agbekoya<br />
Farmers’ Association, Soludero<br />
Hunters Association, the South-<br />
West Peoples Democratic Party,<br />
PDP and the All Progressives<br />
Congress, APC, were among those<br />
who expressed misgivings about<br />
the nefarious activities of<br />
herdsmen particularly in the<br />
South-West.<br />
The groups also expressed worry<br />
over the herdsmen’s incursion in<br />
the region, submitting that the<br />
region is under siege.<br />
Firing the first salvo was the<br />
YCE which advised the Presidency<br />
to check the killing spree of the<br />
herders across the country,<br />
especially in Yorubaland, to<br />
prevent people from resorting to<br />
self-defence and anarchy.<br />
The Yoruba elders who described<br />
the herdsmen as untouchables,<br />
listed many instances when the<br />
bandits kidnapped and killed<br />
innocent people without any<br />
justifiable reason.<br />
YCE, in a statement by its<br />
President, Col. S. Ade Agbede<br />
(retd), said: “As Yoruba elders and<br />
leaders in our own rights, we owe<br />
it a duty to speak up.”<br />
He was, however, quick to<br />
disclose that 1,123 cells belonging<br />
to armed herdsmen are located<br />
across Yoruba nation.<br />
“The cells are said to be well<br />
organised and they are said to<br />
appear to network with each other<br />
as the cells may not be known<br />
except that there have been<br />
increase in their organisational<br />
skills,” Agbede said.<br />
Also, the Peoples Democratic<br />
Party, PDP, in the South-West<br />
raised alarm that the region is<br />
under siege by herdsmen who<br />
perpetrate crime on a daily basis<br />
in the most unfettered manner.<br />
On its part, the Agbekoya<br />
Farmers' Society said it will not<br />
fold its arms while killings, rape<br />
and kidnappings go on unabated<br />
by herdsmen.<br />
President-General of Agbeokya,<br />
Aare Okikiola Kamorudeen<br />
Aremu said: “The Agbekoya<br />
cannot continue to fold its arms<br />
while her sons and daughters are<br />
killed, raped and kidnapped on a<br />
daily basis by the Bororo Fulani.<br />
Agbekoya Farmers' Society is<br />
ready to join hands with Nigeria<br />
Police Force and other security<br />
agencies in order to stop the<br />
killings, rape, abductions and<br />
kidnappings in the South-West of<br />
the country.”<br />
Also lending its voice to the<br />
worrying state of insecurity in the<br />
region, the PDP in the South-<br />
West said: “It is absurd and<br />
inexcusable for us to be under<br />
siege in our own nation.”<br />
A statement by the party’s<br />
Zonal Publicity Secretary in<br />
Akure, Mr. Ayo Fadaka said: “It is<br />
unfortunate to state that the South-<br />
West is today under the siege of<br />
Fulani terrorists or herdsmen, who<br />
perpetrate criminal actions daily<br />
in the most unfettered manner.<br />
“In our region, kidnapping,<br />
assault and rape by these<br />
marauders remain unchecked,<br />
this lethargy has emboldened<br />
them to even attack a traditional<br />
ruler in his palace, without<br />
repercussions, thus egregiously<br />
making a bold statement that we,<br />
the Yoruba, have become their<br />
captives.”<br />
Not wanting to be caught<br />
unawares, Afenifere has asked<br />
Yoruba in the South-West to<br />
activate their traditional and<br />
communal self-defense system in<br />
the face of existential threats and<br />
killings by the herdsmen militia.<br />
The Yoruba group said: “The<br />
killings across the country by the<br />
herdsmen/militia are willful and<br />
deliberate in pursuit of their<br />
expansionist and conquest<br />
agenda.”<br />
The hunters in the region were<br />
also not left behind as they vowed<br />
not to sit by and watch the<br />
unprovoked attacks by the herders<br />
on travellers and other people in<br />
the zone.<br />
Coordinator of Hunters in the<br />
South-West, who also doubles as<br />
the President, Soludero Hunters<br />
Association, Dr Nureni Ajijola<br />
Reports across<br />
the South-<br />
West have<br />
shown that<br />
the insecurity<br />
level has<br />
reached an<br />
alarming<br />
Anabi said he and thousands of his<br />
members would liaise with the<br />
Agbekoya Association and other<br />
conventional security agencies to<br />
ensure that criminals have no<br />
hiding place in the state.<br />
For instance, in Akure, Ondo<br />
State, Vanguard has lost count on<br />
the number of kidnappings, ritual<br />
killings and other criminal<br />
activities carried out by the<br />
herdsmen.<br />
Health officers in Federal<br />
Government hospitals, including<br />
a pregnant doctor, traditional<br />
rulers, regents, lecturers, school<br />
children, civil servants, and a host<br />
of other personalities have been<br />
victims of kidnapping and<br />
banditry across the state.<br />
Herdsmen threaten monarch<br />
Last week, the height of<br />
criminality in the state played out<br />
as the life of a traditional ruler in<br />
the state, the Onigedegede of<br />
Gedegede in Akoko North-West<br />
Council of the state, Oba Walidu<br />
Sanni was threatened by nine<br />
herdsmen who walked into his<br />
palace unhindered.<br />
Oba Sanni raised the alarm at<br />
a stakeholders parley initiated<br />
by the state government to douse<br />
tension and apprehension in the<br />
council area over the activities of<br />
the herdsmen.<br />
The ‘sin’ of the traditional ruler<br />
was that he reported the continued<br />
destruction of his subjects’ farm<br />
produce and farmlands to the<br />
police.<br />
The timely intervention of<br />
Governor Rotimi Akeredolu, who<br />
deployed security operatives to the<br />
town, doused tension and<br />
prevented a bloody clash between<br />
the herdsmen and the people of the<br />
community after they invaded the<br />
monarch’s palace and threatened<br />
him.<br />
Arifayan Ayolekan and a staff of<br />
Dangote Group of Companies,<br />
Ibrahim Lawal were last week<br />
abducted in Ikare Akoko area of<br />
the state.<br />
They regained their freedom<br />
after parting with a N5 million<br />
ransom.<br />
Also in Ibadan, Oyo State,<br />
suspected herdsmen killed the<br />
Officer-in-charge of the Special<br />
Anti Robbery Squad in Saki Area<br />
of the Oyo State Police Command,<br />
Sheu Magu, and a member of his<br />
team.<br />
The deceased were said to have<br />
died as a result of machete injuries<br />
sustained in the hands of the<br />
herdsmen during an operation in<br />
a forest around Saki-Ogboro.<br />
It was however, reported that the<br />
SARS men had arrested some<br />
suspected Fulani herdsmen for<br />
disturbing public peace but they<br />
were ambushed by another group<br />
of herdsmen.<br />
Similarly in Ogun State,<br />
herdsmen attacked some<br />
communities in Ketu Local<br />
Council Development Area.<br />
Narrating the incident in a<br />
statement, the Coordinator-<br />
General and Director of Public<br />
Affairs of Ketu Advancement<br />
Forum, Kunle Abiose and<br />
Williams Olayode respectively<br />
said the herders invaded “our<br />
farms, hewing down palm trees for<br />
their herds to graze on.”<br />
Besides, pandemonium<br />
reportedly broke out in Iwoye<br />
community, in the Imeko-Afon<br />
Local Government Area of Ogun<br />
State when suspected herdsmen<br />
and farmers clashed.<br />
Four persons were feared dead<br />
in the incident as further findings<br />
showed that the Divisional Crime<br />
Officer in charge of Imeko and a<br />
police inspector were shot in one<br />
of the attacks.<br />
Monarchs decry insecurity<br />
proportion<br />
Kidnappings<br />
Also, two wedding<br />
guests, Gbalaja Mayowa and<br />
Continues on page 29