Fulani Herdsmen, who seized hectares of farmlands on Sunday at Ayete in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State, on Monday, consolidated their hold on the farms even with the visit of the state governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, to the area on Sunday and Monday.
According to Punch, the Asawo of Ayete, Oba Emmanuel Okeniyi, in an interview on Monday said the leader of the herdsmen, Iskilu Wakili, had invited his armed kinsmen to join him on the farms. He disclosed that the herdsmen had started cutting down cocoa trees and burning cashew plantations.
This claim of the traditional ruler was also confirmed by farmers in Kajola and Gbagban Idere villages, under Ayete.
One of the farmers, Peter David, lamented that Wakili had taken over the farmlands. From what he said, no security agency has visited the village to dislodge the herdsmen, who forcefully took over the people’s farmlands.
On Sunday, David had appealed to a Yoruba rights activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, mostly known as Sunday Igboho, to come to their rescue from a group of herdsmen.
It has been alleged that Wakili and other herdsmen were driving farmers away from their farms.
On Monday, the governor continued his visit to the Ibarapa area, with the intention of bringing down the tension, the visit started on Sunday.
Makinda visited some towns in the Ibarapa area of the state to share the pulse of the people over the alleged killings, rape, and massive destruction of the farms of the indigenes by the Fulani herdsmen.
The residents told journalists that neither the governor nor security agents had visited the two villages, where Wakili and other herdsmen had seized control of the farmlands.
David on Monday, said, “The Governor went to Igangan today. He did not stop at Ayete. He went to Igangan and returned to Igboora. He did not stop at Ayete let alone say he would visit the villages. The roadblock mounted by Wakili is still there. He has taken over the area. No security agency has gone there also.”
The traditional ruler of the Ayete also confirmed that neither Makinde nor security agent had visited the villages during the governor’s visit to the area.
He said, “He did not go there. We said it to his hearing today. He deployed Amotekun to Ayete on Saturday but they (Amotekun) have not gone to the area to confront him (Wakili).
“I was told that the man had brought so many of his armed kinsmen to the area. We are only depending on God to conquer him for us. He is heavily armed, as I was told.
“I was told he was cutting down their cocoa trees and that he had burnt many cashew plantations there. This is the time to harvest cashew and that is a big loss to the farmers.”
The governor visited Igangan which is the epicentre of the herdsmen crisis but he was welcomed to the town by some youths, who seized the opportunity to register their displeasure.
Makinde started the tour of Ibarapaland on Sunday with a meeting he held with stakeholders at Igbo-Ora on Sunday night.
