Hired Fulani mercenaries have been named as being responsible for Friday night’s attack on Abolongo correctional facility, Oyo town in Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria.
According to one of the Prison officials, the gunmen launched the attack to free detained notorious Fulani warlord Iskilu Wakili and other criminal Fulani herdsmen who were being held at the facility at the time of the attack.
It was gathered that hundreds of inmates took advantage of the attack, which occurred around 10 pm on Friday, to break free from their prison cells and flee the facility.
In Oyo last night, a well-coordinated Fulani attack launched from the Ogbomosho axis was carried out to secure the release of Wakili, the terrorist whom (Sunday Adeyemo) Igboho was tasked with rescuing from Ibarapa.
A top source told the press that he was the target of an attack last night around 10 p.m. “I have been informed by my staff and very reliable people that he was the target of that attack,” the source said.
“The rest was just a bunch of drama.” My security personnel informed me that the gunmen struck on the Oyo-Ogbomosho Road three days ago and that their strange faces were also seen in the vicinity of the area the boys described to me at the time of the attack.
“It was a well-coordinated attack to liberate Wakili and other Fulani detainees,” he continued, adding that SaharaReporters had previously reported that the entrance to the prison had been blown up with an explosive device and that security officials at the prison had fled for their safety after the incident.
“Yes,” said Olanrewaju Anjorin, a spokesman for the National Civil Service, when speaking with SaharaReporters over the phone. It has been confirmed that the attack did take place. The situation is currently being assessed by the Comptroller of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) and other senior officers.
“However, I can confirm to you that the incident did indeed take place.” In a joint operation with Ibarapa security operatives, including members of the Oodua Peoples Congress, Vigilante, and other organisations, a notorious Fulani warlord terrorising Oyo communities, Wakili, was apprehended on March 7 in Ibarapa.
The arrest of Wakili came after several failed attempts, which culminated in a gun battle. There had been reports that Wakili and his gang were involved in the killings and kidnappings of several people in Ibarapa, Oke Ogun, Oyo State, and that they were being sought by the police.
Wakili was apprehended just seven days after his second-in-command, Isiaka Muhammadu, was apprehended along with four other individuals. Gani Adams, the Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, had confirmed Wakili’s arrest in a statement earlier this week. On June 7, at Igangan, in the Ibarapa North Local Government Area, gunmen suspected of being herdsmen opened fire, killing no fewer than 17 people, according to reports.
Residents claimed that the hoodlums invaded the town on motorcycles around 11 p.m. on Saturday and carried on an attack that lasted until around 3 a.m. Sunday. They suspected Wakili’s men, who were on a vengeance mission, of being behind the attack. Locals reported seeing corpses of children and adults strewn about the town at dawn, while houses and vehicles were destroyed by the attackers, who also destroyed a truck loaded with cassava flour, according to reports from residents.
Oladiran Oladokun, the convener of the Igangan Development Advocates, had previously stated that the gunmen had set fire to houses to drive out the residents, after which they had opened fire on them.
He claimed that the government did not take security concerns seriously and that they had received information that the herdsmen were planning an attack on the government.
