Ashigangan of Iganganland, Oba Abdul-Azeez Adewuyi Olaoye, the Elenpe of Tapa, Oba Titiloye Oyekanmi Sunday, The Asawo of Aiyete, Oba Emmanuel Okeniyi Borisabunmi condemned the activities of Fulani hersmen including Wakili and his men in Ibarapa land.
Asigangan whose son was kidnapped said he paid a ransom of N5million to Fulani people who abducted ‘his son.’
He also denied an allegation that he could not address the issues of herdsmen, because he married a daughter of Sarkin Fulani. He said he had never had affairs or any befriended any Fulani woman in his life as being speculated.
“After intervention of government, a week later, they have forgotten the case. I have on several occasions visited the Commissioner of Police to complain but it yielded no result. When one of my chiefs had issues with Fulani, we went to police and as we speak, we have not heard anything about the outcome of the case. Our people cannot go to farm again.
“When our wives are coming from farm, they would sleep with many of them. On the cow market that was closed, we traditional rulers in Ibarapaland agreed with government to close down the markets because of the kidnapping, rape, and killing of our people by Fulani people. That is where they use as hideouts.
“Now that our subjects are adamant that they don’t want them again, government needs to act now. There must be lasting solution to it. If they are ready to live peacefully with our people, maybe our people may have a rethink. But for now, I don’t have option than to support my people. I support whatever they want because we are all residents of Igangan.”
On the allegation of marrying a daughter of Sarkin Fulani, the monarch said: “It is a lie. I didn’t marry Fulani. My wife is from Aiyete, and her name is Afusat. Her father is from Aiyete and her mother is from Idere. I don’t have any relationship with Fulani in my life. I never dated Fulani woman before.
“I don’t have even a chicken with them, let alone buying cows and putting them in their care. We have heard about some of the atrocities committed by Sarkin Fulani, Saliu Abdul-Kadir. But he was not caught red handed. We couldn’t act. Whenever we report his men to him as the leader of Fulani people, he would defend them that they didn’t know anything about it.
“I have told him to leave even before Igboho came to Igangan because I don’t want crisis in Igangan but he didn’t leave. This is because of what people are saying about him. It is true my son was kidnapped. His name is Monsuru.
Though he is my brother’s son. He was freed on the fifth day after he was abducted. They trailed him to where he was praying in the mosque. They also pretended praying. We paid ransom to rescue the boy. There are other people kidnapped by this same Fulani people. A boy, Segun Olosun was rescued after paying N15million, seven days later.
Those rescued told us that their abductors were Fulani people. Wife of Babaso, a traditional ruler in Igbo-Ora spent four days in kidnappers’ den. The lasting solution is for their leaders to talk to them in the language they understand to live peacefully. Some of them have changed from what they used to be. They have turned themselves to Boko Haram in Yorubaland.”
The Asawo of Aiyete, Oba Emmanuel Okeniyi Borisabunmi, stated: “Whoever that destroys your farm does not want you to eat and if you don’t have food to eat, you are as good as dead while you are still alive. The herdsmen have turned us to buying food from them. Cows never destroyed their farms but usually destroyed our own. The only thing we now do, is farming but. Now, we cannot feed ourselves again. The most annoying thing is the way they are kidnapping us.
“My younger brother, Ajani was kidnapped. After three years, we have not seen him. Another one is Yekini, we are yet to see him two years after. So also some of our rich men. They kidnap them and collect money from them. Our people are alleging that we allowed them on our land, that is not correct; nobody allocated land for the Fulani. They only settled wherever they felt it is good for them. All the people arrested for this act are Fulani. We challenge them to bring out Yoruba among them if there is any. As we speak, nobody gave us anything again.
The Elenpe of Tapa, Oba Titiloye Oyekanmi Sunday, also said: “Why won’t Fulani say they would not vacate our land? It because of what they are gaining from us when you are collecting N12million, N7million, N3million, N2million as ransom when you kidnap our persons. What do we have to sell here if not our farm produces? They were not born here. They should go back to their states and be kidnapping their own people there. Nigeria belongs to all of us. But if you are in Nigeria, you must abide by the rules and regulations in the society. We are predominantly farmers and the Fulani have been grazing their cattle on our farms. If you obtain loan to farm in Ibarapa, the herdsmen will run you into embarrassing debt.”
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