Police officers have been accused of standing by and watching while Fulani herdsmen living Igangan in the Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State, attacked local farmers on Friday, January 15.
Seun Isaiah, one of the four farmers attacked by the herders in the community, said the onslaught was unleashed on them in the presence of some policemen.
Isaiah, was reported to be one of the two persons who died due to the serious injury inflicted on his head. Fortunately, he survived.
According to the Punch, Isaiah spoke on Saturday in a video and recounted his ordeal to the Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, Sunday Odukoya who visited him (Isaiah) at the hospital where he was being treated.
The video was made available by the Convener, Igangan Development Advocates, Oladiran Oladokun.
The victim, whose head was heavily bandaged, said he and three others were returning home on the same motorcycle when the Fulani men inflicted machete cuts on them.
He said he did not know the whereabouts of the others.
Isaiah said, “The four of us were on the same motorcycle; they just came out and waylaid us. We were not attacked inside the bush; we were attacked at Oju Alagolo. We would have turned back, but we saw some policemen there and that was why we felt there would not be any problem.”
Asked how he knew their assailants were Fulani, he said they were the town’s herdsmen.
“One of those Fulani who attacked us with a cutlass came out of his house. I know his house. They did not say we did anything. They ran after us and started inflicting cuts on us as we sped away. Two police vehicles were where we were attacked by the Fulani men, but they pretended as if they did not see what happened. The motorcycle is still where we were attacked,” he added.
Residents said a popular Yoruba activist, Sunday Igboho, had earlier visited the town and went to the Fulani settlement, where he gave them a seven-day notice to quit because of their alleged atrocities.
Crisis ensued during the visit and two huts were allegedly set ablaze.
However, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, said, “The popular Sunday Igboho from Igboho town stormed the Fulani camp at Igangan in four Hilux pickup vans and attacked the people and injured four persons.”
