The people of Igangan, a community in Ibarapa area of Oyo State on Wednesday recounted their ordeals ones again when Stefanos Foundation, a Non-Governmental Organization from Jos, Plateau State Capital condoled with them and presented them with relief materials.
Checks by our correspondent during the visit to the town showed that relative peace has returned to the community as farmers are now going to their farms though with heavily armed local security men and they move in large numbers.
LiveTimesNG reporter spotted security agents like police, Amotekun Corps and others with many road blocks which showed heavy presence of security operatives in the town.
Remember on 5th June 2021 at about 2310hrs (22:10 GMT), suspected armed bandits… invaded Igangan Community in the dead of the night, in the process, eleven persons including some of the assailants were confirmed dead,” Oyo police spokesman, Wale Osifeso said in a statement.
Two men spotted during Stefanos Foundation’s visit to the town, Adefemi Adetunji and Kehinde Olukunle recounted what happened on the fateful day they were maimed by the Fulani herdsmen.
Adefemi revealed that he has lost his sense to hearing after the Funani’s dagger hit him on his head. He described how he also lost his harm while he tried to use his hand to defend himself against their dagger. He said only three of them were alive when the Fulani men attacked their house. He said the third person’s leg has been cut, a reason who was not at the occasion.
Speaking with our correspondent, the Vice Chairman of Igangan LCDA, Hon. Azeez Saminu described how life has been for residents of the town after the attack on them by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
Saminu said: “We select security men among ourselves to protect us after we waited in vain for the state government to fulfill their promise of providing us with local security men. Now, we are the hunters of ourselves. If not that our boys were brave and fortified, the Fulani men were ready to totally ruin our land. When they attacked us, they used their matching to create fear, destroyed our houses, burnt cars and other properties. And after their bullets refused to enter bodies of their victims, they started matcheting them and mutilating their bodies. Meaning everyone killed by Fulani matcheted to death after bullets refused to penetrate their bodies.
“Now, we have improved on our security architecture. If you come at night, you will see our volunteered vigilante men well fortified. Although, government brought here some security men like Mobile police but they left yesterday saying they have an operation in Dubai”, Saminu revealed.
Also speaking, the chairman of Igangan LCDA, Hon. Okedeji Olusegun revealed that the Fulani men in the community were more like a family before the new influx among them came and started terrorizing the community.
He said: “the Fulanis have been living with us even before we were born. And they were more or less like our family. But these ones that attacked us were new influx, who came into our community about 15 years ago and with time, they started constituting atrocities like harassing us on our farms, killing, raping our women and other atrocities. We appreciates you (Stefanos Foundation) and we will deliver your message to the king”, Okedeji revealed.
In his message, the program coordinator of Stefanos Foundation, Engr. Mark Lipdo said the NGO was founded 20 years ago when unrests and attacks were rife in the North.
He said: ” the foundation is a Jos based NGO that’s out to bring succour to people who are suffering from effects of violence in their communities. Stefanos work in communities that have been attacked. In the North, we heard these Fulanis attacked communities who are not Muslims but when we heard about this similar violence in the Southern Nigeria, we learnt situation here is different. We found out that Igangan is a mixture of Christians and Muslims who are living together peacefully. We understand that this community was attacked because they are different ethnic group.
“We have so far found out that Fulanis are presenting themselves as warlords. And it is not going to be good for Fulani if they continue presenting themselves that way”.
Lipdo therefore appealed to Fulani leaders to allow peace to reign in all Nigerian communities.
Watch details in video below;
