Fulani herdsman
Calm has returned weeks after the bloody clashes between native farmers and Fulani cattle rearers in the Igbeti and Igboho environs in Northern Oyo of Oyo State. The Fulani cattle herders had attacked their hosts after alleging that the deaths of their cattle was as a result of poisoning by native Yoruba Farmers. The cattle herders then resorted to ambushing and attacking soft targets especially women and lone motorcyclists in the remote communities.
A native source in Oyo who spoke to our correspondent said the Fulani cattle rearers were angered that they cannot graze their surviving cattle having been led to believe that their dead cattle had been poisoned by local farmers and militia/hunters. The source added that the angry herders are armed with Kalashnikov rifles otherwise known as AK47’s and alleged collusion between them (herders) and security operatives of northern extraction.
The source also noted that the natives were also irked by the invasion of farmlands and the repeated violent conduct of the pastoralists including armed robbery, kidnappings and frequent rapes of local women by the Fulani herders.
It would be recalled that a prominent Yoruba, who was a former Secretary to the government of Nigerian as well as ex-Finance Minister, Chief Olu Falae had been kidnapped in the neighbouring Ondo State. He was release from captivity four days later after a five million Naira ransom was paid to his Fulani abductors. Before the abduction, Chief Falae had been having issues with the Fulani herdsmen whose cows on several occasions, destroyed his crops and farmland. Police later arrested and arraigned the six suspects who abducted Chief Falae in court. Fulani herdsmen kill and maim people across Nigeria and escape without arrest.
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