The crisis started on December 10,
2017 when aged women were attacked
with a machete in-between Moro and
Eegelu villages for their refusal to submit
themselves to be raped by the herdsmen.
“Nine days after, on December 19, 2017,
the herdsmen were out again, killing one
Mr. Olabisi Tangu Afolabi and setting his
corpse ablaze at Oosada village.”
“During the Christmas celebrations, they
struck again on December 25, 2017 and
killed one Mr. Adegoke Olude at Ogunba
Ayetoro however, with the active
collaboration of our local vigilante group,
three of the suspected killers namely
Mohammed Bello (40), Muhammed
Momoh (30) and Yisau Umoru (18) were
arrested and later paraded personally by
the State Police Commissioner, Mr.
Ahmed Illyasu with an AK47 riffle, pieces
of 0.8mm live ammunition, 26 live
cartridges and two sharp cutlasses which
were recovered from them.”
“We also wish to note that three days
after a stakeholders meeting convened by
Ketu LCDA on January 25, 2018 at the
instance of the State Commissioner of
Police and Ketu Advancement Forum
(KAF), which had the herdsmen in
attendance, the herders broke loose
again into our farms, hewing down palm
and teak trees for herds to graze on.
“Surprisingly, when the local people went
to inspect the damage done to their
farms, the herders again opened fire on
them with the locals sustaining gunshots
wounds of various degrees”
”This incident was well documented at
the Police Area Command Office, Ilaro.”
”Presently, the atmosphere is charged as
areas like Ikotun, Ologiri, Akeru, Ilukan,
Ijege and Ajibode have continued to
come under the influx of herdsmen”
”We insist that there is no land for open
grazing in our LCDA for two major
reasons namely:
“The herders have proven over the years
to be deadly and incapable of co-habiting
with our people, judging by the woes they
have continuously visited on us for over
15 years now.” they sad
”There is acute shortage of farmland in
Ketu LCDA as the State Government had
already taken the chunk of the people’s
land for four forest reserves located at
Tobolo/Aworo, Eggua, Oja-Odan and
Ohunbe while another large expanse of
land had been taken for the Ogun and
Lagos States Rice Plantations at Eggua.
“The little land remaining is overcrowded
and therefore grossly inadequate for
farming, which is our people’s only
occupation.”
“We are calling on Mr. Governor to rise
up and perform the primary objective of
giving us security by doing the following
amongst others:
”Engage meaningfully with our people on
measures being taken by his government
to guarantee our security from the
heartless Fulani herdsmen. To us, there
is no way the State Government can
claim to be working to secure our lives in
this matter that we will not know.”
”Provide strong logistic support to the
Implementation Committee contained in
the MoU midwifed by the State
Government among parties on the matter
in December 2012, which involved the
Police, Nigerian Army, other security
agencies, local vigilante groups and
representatives of Miyetti Allah in Ogun
State, to enable them patrol the black
spots with a view to keeping the
marauding herders at bay.”
Cause the Ogun State House of Assembly
(OGHA) to expedite action on the
passage of the bill on the matter currently
before it.”
”Set up a special Tasks Force to monitor
and regulate movements across the
borders in our area, particularly of cattle
rustlers, armed herders and others that
have been identified as aggravating
internal tension and insecurity in Ketu
axis.”
”Take any other concrete measures as it
deems fit to secure the lives of our
people and create conducive atmosphere
for us to go about our daily lawful
businesses.”
” We hope that the State Government will
see our statement as a sincere wake up
call, and act in line with her constitutional
duties to guarantee our “security and
well-being”.
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