Traditional in Ketu communities of Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State have put the Nigerian on the spot accusing its officers of conniving with herdsmen to attack villagers in the state.
The monarchs including the Oniggua of Iggualand, Oba Michael Dosumu; the Eselu of Iseluland, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi; and the Alademeso of Igan Alade, Oba Gabriel Olalowo, in a petition addressed to the Brigade Commander, 35 Artillery Brigade, Nigerian Army, Alamala, Abeokuta, alleged that herdsmen invaded their territories with soldiers and harassed their people.
In the petition entitled ‘Matter of urgency’ the royal fathers said the incident occurred around 2pm on December 19, 2020.
“The Baale was asked to gather his subjects and people from nearby villages which he did. The suspected soldiers told the people that the purpose of their visit was to inform them that the Fulani herders would be coming into their communities to graze cows.
“After their address, they asked if anyone had question or comment to make in reaction to the information. Expectedly, one Mr. Seye Mulero responded by calling the attention of the soldiers to the inherent challenges of allowing the herders in their communities based on the sad previous experiences in the community.
“That the said Seye Mulero further cited past killings, maiming and destruction of farms to buttress his point. Sadly, at this point, the soldiers seized him and mercilessly beat him up.
“In the same manner, the Fulani herders in company of the suspected soldiers left Ibeku for Asa, the adjoining village to address the Baale of Asa and his subjects as they had earlier done at Ibeku, the people refused to respond, having heard what transpired at Ibeku.
“However, one of the Fulani herders sighted some of people in the audience and picked on them as those that purportedly shouted on them at Ibeku while brutalising their victim (Seye Mulero). The herders asked the soldiers to also deal with them,” the petitioners stated.
Furthermore, the traditional rulers said the state commissioner of police, Mr. Edward Ajogun, had on January 3 summoned a meeting on the matter at the Police Divisional Headquarters, Eggua.
According to them, during the meeting, some of the herders confirmed that they brought the soldiers that escorted them while grazing their herds on the people’s lands, a development that the commissioner condemned strongly.
They monarchs asked the military authority to identify, investigate and prosecute the suspected soldiers for the alleged connivance and involvement in the attacks on the villagers by the Fulani herdsmen.
Although the 35 Artillery Brigade, Alamala, Abeokuta, was yet react to the allegation, Punch reported that a source in the army disclosed that Brigade was aware of the issues in the areas.
It also reported that spokesman for the Ogun State police command, Mr. Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed that there were lingering problems between the herders and the people into the area.
