By Nudoiba Ojen
The Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has expressed worry that killing by herdsmen of farmers innocently earning their living has started rearing its heads again in parts of the Southwest.
Consequently, Igboho called on security operatives to, as a matter of urgency, curtail the resurgence of armed herdsmen killings farmers in Iwere-Ile, Iwajowa Local Government Area and some other towns in Oke Ogun axis of Oyo State.
Recall that some people were confirmed dead when armed herdsmen ambushed security operatives at Apalokun village in Iwe-Irele, on Sunday, October 15, who were on their way to restore peace in the community.
Adeyemo, in a statement, said, “We are calling on the Police, the Department of State Security, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Nigerian Army to address the fragile security breaches now before the situation gets out of hand.”
He also stated that the pocket of alleged skirmishes between some rogue herdsmen and farmers in some parts of Ogun State should be urgently addressed by the security apparatus with a view not to disrupt the peace of agrarian settlements.
“For now, we have belief in the capability of the Federal Government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu to ensure and guarantee the safety of lives and properties, particularly farmers in Nigeria. We must not tolerate any act that can further push up the prices of food and other edible commodities.”
He, therefore, appealed to the governor’s of Oyo and Ogun states, to as a matter of urgency, deploy more security agents and architectures to all the flashpoints where there are increase in herdsmen/Farmers clashes for peace to reign.
He said, “Nigerians and our farmers in agrarian settlements need security presence now so that they can engage in small or large-scale farming activities for food production. These killings must stop now for the benefit of all.
“We are saddened that the killings of our farmers innocently earning their living have started rearing their ugly heads again. This worrisome development calls for sober reflection bearing in mind the current hardship in the country.
“The recent ambush and killing of operatives of Amotekun Security Corps, including other security agents who were trying to restore normalcy in the Iwere-Ile community after the suspected Fulani herdsmen have murdered our kinsmen in Iwere-Ile must be investigated and the culprits must be made to face the music.
“While we commend the state Governor, Seyi Makinde and his counterpart in Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun for their efforts to ensure peace and healthy developments in their respective states, we are challenging the heads of security agencies to act now before the situation worsens.
“However, while we believe in peaceful coexistence in Nigeria regardless of tribe, religion and political cleavages, we are issuing a seven-day ultimatum to the herdsmen killing our people in any part of South-West to vacate our communities now. This warning is very important. We are not going to take laws into our hands, but they must leave”.
