Residents of Igangan in the Ibarapa North-West Local Council
Development Area of Oyo State have vowed never to allow the now-ejected Seriki
Fulani, Abdulkadri Saliu, to return to the community.
According to them, accepting the Seriki Fulani back in the
town was tantamount to a self-suicide, adding that they would rather die than
to accept Saliu back in the town.
“The entire town would rather go into self-suicide than to
accept Seriki back. We would rather lay down our lives than for us and and our
generations to be subjected to the evil reign of Seriki again, the Convener,
Igangan Development Advocates, Oladiran Oladokun, said on Friday.
Oladokun was reacting to a statement made by the Seriki
Fulani that he would consider moving back to Igangan.
“If given opportunity to return to the community I would
consider moving back to Igangan,” Saliu, whose family members have settled
temporarily in Ilorin, Kwara State, said on Thursday.
Recall that a popular Yoruba rights activist, Sunday
Adeyemo, well known as Sunday Igboho, asked herdsmen accused of perpetrating
sundry crimes in Ibarapaland to leave within seven days.
At the expiration of the ultimatum, Igangan residents,
emboldoned by Igboho’s presence had ejected the Seriki Fulani and his herders out
of the rustic town.
Speaking with our correspondent on Friday, Oladokun said the
residents of the town have been exhaling breathe of fresh air and relief since
the eviction of Saliu and his men.
He said farmers now have renewed hope of returning to their
farms to continue agricultural activities without fear of being raped,
kidnapped and killed.
The IDA leader said the people of the community would not
want any order that would truncate the momentary peace and tranquility that
they have started enjoying.
“Our people will not allow that reign, that enslavement to
come back now that they tasted freedom a little.
“We are now relieved. People can’t go to farm for so many
months. People are now thinking of going back to their farms and they are now
having hope of a better life and you want to take that hope from them?” the
youth leader disclosed.
Continuing, Oladokun said, “In the media, people perceive
what happened in Igangan as an exageration. But for about 20 years, Igangan
lived under the oppressive blood carnage championed by the Seriki himself. How
do I know? Why is it that on every occasion, no Fulani has been prosecuted?
“If the Seriki is really who he claims to be and he cares so
much about the town, why did he not bring out at least one culprit and say,
‘Igangan people, this one that you claimed killed a farmer last week, this is
him, we got him for you. We don’t want criminals amongst us, we don’t people to
tarnish our image.’
“Why hasn’t the Seriki done that over the years? Seriki
claimed he had no control over Igangan but it is a lie; he held control over
the town and the killings, he held sway over Igangan, even the chiefs were
helpless and they bowed to him. That is why when a crime is committed, they
would go to him and he would ask them to relax even if they killed or raped a
woman in the farm. He would tell them it was the Ja’mah (congregation) that did
it.”
The IDA leader further urged the Presidency and the Oyo
State Governor, Seyi Makinde, to launch a comprehensive investigation into the
allegations levelled against the Seriki Fulani to uncover and ascertain the
truth of the matter and further prosecute the culprits.
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