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How suspected fulani herdsmen kill 55 people in Ogun community

Some indigenes of Ketu, under the aegis of Ketu Advancement Forum (AKF) have claimed that suspected Fulani herdsmen have killed 55 persons in Ketu within the last twenty one years.

The indigenes made this assertion in a rejoinder that was signed by the Coordinator-General, Michael Abiose and made available to Daily Post.

The group, KAF made statement in reaction to the claim made by Ibrahim Adamu, the Sarkin Fulani of Eggua that over 100 Fulani herdsmen and countless cows have been killed by indigenes of Yewa

Adamu had also claimed that soldiers were right to escort Fulani herdsmen in Ogun communities.

Reacting to this claim by Adamu, KAF said “without any fear of contradiction, everything Adamu said was blatant lies told in a desperate attempt to stand the truth in the head.”

However, the group said, “But in the end, we are glad for two things – First, the Sarkin Fulani has confirmed that it was Fulanis that carried out wanton killings and destruction in the area for over twenty years, including the coordinated assault between Thursday 11th and Wednesday 17th February 2021″.

“The second is that he finally confirmed that he and his co-herders brought soldiers to Asa, Ibeku and Agbon-Ojodu on 19th December, 2020 to assault Ketu people with reckless abandon. Even the Nigerian Army has not dissociated itself from Adamu’s claim.”

However, the indigenes of Ketu have cried out that “the killings of Ketu people and destruction of their farms by Adamu and his people started over 25 years ago.

“The herders have always provokingly invaded our people’s land, destroyed their farms, polluted their water, killed farmers, maimed and raped women as well as committed other atrocities against innocent Ketu people.”

KAF said in an attempt to tame the ‘violent herders’, the Onigua of Eggua, Oba Adeleye Dosunmu, got the permission of the government to install Adamu as Sarkin Fulani of Eggua in the year 2000 to help calm his people.

“As their atrocious acts would not stop, some Royal Fathers, Baales and Community Leaders in the area instituted a case against Adamu and his people at a State High Court sitting in Ilaro, before Honourable Justice M. A. Dipeolu in 2007.

“The court established the link between Adamu and the nomadic herders and held that the activities of the herders in the area were illegal and should be stopped forthwith. However, Adamu and others persisted in their criminal acts even in contempt of the court ruling.

The group revealed that in 2013, the State Government introduced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ketu people, the Fulanis and All Farmers Association, Ogun State Chapter

“The MoU provided for banning of open grazing, registration of herders and their cows by the State Government and relevant security agencies before entering our area, grazing only in approved areas and a joint enforcement committee comprising all necessary security agencies.

“But, it may interest you to note that the recalcitrant herders brazenly breached all the terms of the MoU and reversed the gains of the process. All these and other gestures of Ketu people at promoting peace with the Fulani herders have been rebuffed and abused.

The group said further: “Adamu lied when he said over 100 herders were killed by Ketu people in the last five years. He tried to cover up his lie when he said he recently lost records of the dead. And we dare to ask Adamu if human beings were so inconsequential to have lost record of the dead? Who were they? Where were they killed? Where are their pictures etc.? On the contrary, we say without equivocation that it is the aggressor Fulanis who are killing Ketu people for opposing destructive grazing on their farms. Adamu too confirmed this when he said they (Fulanis) “brought Army so that anywhere there is crisis, they would settle it.

“To prove our claim, we attached herewith documented pictures and list of 55 people killed by herders in the last twenty-one years for your information and records. Even three herders who were apprehended in the past were covered up by the Police.

“A case in point was that of Mohammed Bello (40), Muhammed Momoh (30) and Yisau Umoru (18) who were apprehended with AK47 and several ammunition in 2017 and personally paraded by the then Ogun Police Commissioner, CP Ahmed Illyasu. They were never prosecuted till date despite our ceaseless agitation.

“We like to conclude by stating that we have submitted detailed memorandum on the evil acts of the herders to the Peace Committee on Farmers-Herders Conflict in Yewaland set up by the Ogun State Government with our recommendations in the hope that we will get justice and renewed security for our local population from the genocidal activities of herders that lasted for over 20 years “.

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