We won’t return home until herdsmen killings stop —Ogun villagers who fled to Benin Republic

Daud Olatunji
My wife and I ran away to the Eegelu
community in Benin Republic when
killer herdsmen started invading our
homes, killing and burning houses,”
said Abiodun Abikale, one of the
Ogun villagers who fled to Benin
Republic.
Some villagers in villages in
Yewaland such as Oha, Asa, Igbooro,
Ibeku, Moro, Agbon-Ojodu among
others fled their homes in Ogun State
when marauding killer herdsmen
unleashed terror on the areas, killing,
maiming and destroying farms with
cows.
Another Ogun resident whose wife
was delivered of a baby in Benin
Republic while taking refuge in the
country after fleeing the state due to
killings by the herdsmen, Monday
Odu, said they left during the bedlam
between farmers and herders in the
Yewa-North Local Government Area
of the state.
He said, “I can say much about the
killings of our people by the criminal
herders. They have been disturbing
farmers in our areas for a long time.
The killings became too much and
unbearable at a point to the extent
that we had to run away to Benin
Republic to secure our lives. I am
trying to get money to discharge my
wife, Sarah Odu, from the hospital.
She was delivered of the baby
through caesarean section.’’
Both Odu and Abikale narrated their
experiences to our correspondent
who met them shortly after they
sneaked into their place in Ibeku
village under Eseluland in Yewaland
which was part of the areas
terrorised by the herdsmen.
Abikale said, “They invaded our
homes, killed people and destroyed
farmlands. Amid the terror, some of
us were left with no choice than to
flee to Benin Republic.’’ Our
correspondent gathered that Benin
Republic became an option for the
fled villagers in Ketuland because of
its proximity. Both Odu and Abikale
said they were happy with the
reception they got in Benin Republic.
He added that the government took
care of them well.
Abikale also said the people of
Eegelu received them well, adding,
“They treated us well. They took care
of us. I was tempted to conclude that
the place is more convenient for me
than Nigeria because there is peace.
I didn’t return with my wife. I only
came to check our property and see
the situation. I am not comfortable
coming with my wife. But I am
returning there. We will return fully
when the killings and abductions in
our villages end.’’
Our correspondent gathered that
many farmers in the state taking
refuge in Benin Republic shunned the
state government palliatives. Though
the government tried to woo them
with a few bags of rice and some
other stuff to return to the country,
the fled residents insisted that they
would not return to their villages until
security improved in Nigeria.
The state government last Sunday
wooed the villagers with the
palliatives but they were not around
to collect them.
The Chairman, Subcommittee on
Palliatives, Olaolu Olabimtan, who is
also the Commissioner for Budget
and Planning, while delivering the
palliatives to the people in the area,
described the gesture as a sign of
better things to come.
On the palliatives, the Eselu of
Iseluland, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi,
said that residents were not available
to receive them from the government.
The monarch said many of the
residents said they preferred to be
slaves elsewhere than die in their
country due to the level of insecurity
in the area.
He said, “We thank the governor for
doing that. Then, we begged our
people to return home; we are
working on the assurance of security
agents when they return. But right
now, the whole place has been
deserted. The palliatives are outside
and no one to collect them.
“It is a terrible situation; nobody is
around. They have deserted the
houses, the schools, everywhere. The
palliatives are in Tata; we can’t pick
them because we are still looking for
who to give them to; some residents
are even saying that they won’t come
until security is provided.
“We have been getting in touch with
them, some are in Ipobe, some are in
Eegelu, Port Novo, and others are
saying that it is better for them to be
slaves elsewhere than to be killed in
Nigeria.’’
Our correspondent gathered that
about five pregnant women were
among the women that fled the
country with their spouses. The
women joined others to take shelter
at a make shift Internally Displaced
Persons camp located at a
community in the neighbouring Benin
Republic. Our correspondent who
visited areas such as Ohunbe, Asa,
Agbon, Isuku, kodera, Iselu, Iyana
Meta, Ibeku, Eegelu, Ipobe, Igbo-oko
and Iganna, noted that they had been
deserted by mostly women due to
attacks by suspected herdsmen.
Some of the residents, including
Monday Idowu and Sina Adekanbi,
who spoke exclusively to our
correspondent, added that some men
followed their wives with the children
while others stayed behind in the
villages.
Idowu said, “Since last week that
suspected herdsmen attacked some
villages, we did not sleep because
we were afraid that they may come
for us again. The people have fled to
some villages in Benin Republic
since Sunday. Few of us that stayed
behind take shelter in bushes for fear
of attack. These people came back
the same day the governor visited
our area. The day the commissioner
led a delegation to this place, they
attacked us. The governor said he
would provide security, but we have
not seen anybody. There is panic
everywhere.”
He added that those taking shelter in
Benin Republic stay in temporary
shelter, noting that the government
was taking care of them.
Idowu stated, “They (Benin Republic)
registered and fed them free of
charge. Among those who went, five
pregnant women have given birth.
One of them, Odu Monday, gave birth
through caesarean section. The man
followed his wife to Benin Republic.”
Also Adekanbi said, “My wives are in
the Benin Republic. Except a few of
us who are men, all our wives and
children have gone to Benin
Republic. We don’t have family in
that country but their government
only helped us.”
Idowu further said he was not sure
those who fled would return soon
because of the report that some
herders threatened to return with
more attacks on the villages.
Despite the stakeholders meeting
held between the Fulani herdsmen
and farmers in the state which was
attended by five governors including
the state governor, Dapo Abiodun and
four northern governors, the killings
have not abated.
The chairman of the transition
committee of Imeko-Afon Local
Government, Olusola Oke, lamented
that killings and kidnappings were
still ongoing in the Yewa axis.
He also lamented the security
situation in the area, saying, “Last
Thursday, two people who wanted to
buy cows were lured into the bush
and kidnapped around Iwoye-Ketu.
They have yet to be rescued.
“Also, at about 6am, in Iwofin along
the Abeokuta-Ayetoro road, a driver
of a raw fufu (stable food) truck was
dragged into the bush only to
discover that he was kidnapped by
people suspected to be Fulani
herdsmen. This was confirmed by
the area commander of Ayetoro when
I enquired from him.’’
The state Police Public Relations
Officer, state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi,
however said two fufu traders were
abducted, adding that a suspect who
is a Fulani had been arrested in
connection with the matter.
It was gathered that suspected
herdsmen kidnapped the two fufu
traders in Ayetoro-Olorunda in Imala,
Abeokuta-North Local Government
Area of the state. Our correspondent
further gathered that the abductors
later demanded N5m ransom each
from the two victims.
The abductors seized the two fufu
sellers who were on their way to
Lafenwa Market from Ayetoro around
5am last Saturday.
The kidnappers reportedly took
advantage of a failed portion of the
road, which made the commercial
vehicle the traders were in to slow
down. The suspected herdsmen were
said to have emerged from the bush
and took the two traders away.
He said, “The abductors reached out
to the families of the victims in
Ayetoro and demanded N5m random
each. We have arrested one of the
kidnappers. We cannot confirm if the
abductors are Fulani herdsmen; the
one we arrested is a Fulani man. He
has confessed and said other
members of his gang are around the
Olohunda area. We are on their trail.”
Speaking on the development,
Secretary of Faces of Yewa Indigenes
Foundation, Kehinde Akinlade,
expressed worry over the situation in
the area.
Akinlade said, “How can the farmers
and the traders go to the market
when their silos, barns, farm stores
have been burnt down by the Fulani
herders? How can they resume their
economic activities when they cannot
go to their farms for harvest because
of the fear of the murderous herders
still lurking in the forests
surrounding the affected Yewa
towns? It is not possible. Their towns
and investments are gone and their
lives are not secured.’’
He also said the measures taken by
the government to curb the killings
and abductions were late. He said,
“That the government had taken
some security measure is not in
doubt and it is appreciated. But the
fact is that the measures came a bit
late leading to loss of lives, property
and the burning downs of villages.’’
Describing the mode of attack by the
killer herders as guerrilla, Akinlade
condemned the tactic of deploying
security agents to the roads and not
forests.

https://punchng.com/we-wont-return-home-until-herdsmen-killings-stop-ogun-villagers-who-fled-to-benin-republic/

Hahahhah, this one na cruise on another altitude

At this point, we can conclude that the Fulani have fully conquered those areas while their governor looks away. God bless ESN.

This government's inability to contain the insecurity of this country will eventually lead to a separation of regions.