Blood flowed freely in Igangan, one of the seven principal towns of Ibarapa land in Oyo State, early Sunday morning as gunmen reportedly dispatched many persons to their early graves in the town.
The bandits, according to sources, were about 50 and they invaded the town around 11 pm on Saturday on more than 20 motorcycles.
During the invasion, palace of the paramount ruler of the town, Asigangan of Igangan, Lasisi Adeoye, as well as a popular petroleum station and some cars were razed.
The exact number of people killed during the attack could not be immediately ascertained at the time of filing this report. Some people said 20 persons lost their lives, while another set said 10 persons were killed.
Secretary of Farmers Union in Igangan, Taiwo Adeagbo, said at least 10 lives were lost during the invasion, adding that the invaders shot at five residents dead, while local security agents also neutralised five among the attackers.
Reports obtained by NewsScroll from residents gathered at different spots in the town where the dead lay, indicate that a well known son of the Sarkin Fulani, Abdukadir Saliu, expelled from Igangan, and a son of arrested warlord based in Ayete, Wakil, were among the Fulani invaders killed.
According to Adeagbo, a petrol station, cars and a truck were burnt down by the attackers.
He said: ”The Fulani terrorists waged war on Igangan from around 12 midnight on Sunday. They burnt much property, including cars, a truck and a petrol filling station. We will know the exact number of people killed, those injured and the number of property they destroyed later.”
Convener of Igangan Development Advocate, Oladiran Oladokun, said Igangan suffered human losses as the town came under heavy gunfire by suspected Fulani herdsmen.
“On numerous occasions, Ibrahim, Seriki Saliu’s son kept pledging that Igangan would be razed down to ashes. He had the audacity to proclaim this on social media as well as on radio shows, perhaps his words were taken as mere groans, but local vigilantes at Igangan kept receiving the news of impending danger.
“The state, I believe thought it’s just another hype, for we notified the state of our fears on the 14th of April when covert information reached us of a meeting of the Fulani towards fulfilling their oath of allegiance towards reprisals.
“Today we lick our wounds. We suffered heavy losses and casualties. The Fulani fulfilled their pledge. I cannot say the same for those who are supposed to see to our security. In fact, Igangan did all within her limits to see to her own security. Folks contributed to power local hunters. And the local hunters, vigilantes and some OPC were the only shreds of a tiny armour that shielded us as we came under heavy gunfire from 11 pm of 5th June to 3 am of 6th June. And no state security apparatus got to us during the storm.
“If we had not made a little cover. Perhaps, as Ibrahim, son of Seriki pledged, Igangan would have become a dunghill of ashes, or perhaps, this is just their beginning.”
A former caretaker chairman of Ibarapa North, where Igangan is located, Tunji Omolewu, stated: “People had barely retired to bed when they said they sighted motorcycles entering the town. Before our people could know what was going on, they had started killing people. I got the call around 11 pm. We were on our way from Ekiti where we had gone for the Yoruba nation rally. I got to Ibadan around 12 am and when the calls did not stop coming, I decided to come home. I have counted more than 20 dead bodies. The palace of our monarch was torched. Adolak filling station too was burnt. We are assembled here.”
A former caretaker chairman of neighbouring Ibarapa Central, Yemi Akinlabi, also spoke from the United States: ”It is so sad. Only a few days ago, our people got an intelligence report and forwarded it to the appropriate quarters for actions but here we are today. Are we going to continue to live in fear in our land? I have spoken to Kunle Togun about last night’s incident and we would want him and his team to do something. Our people must not be allowed to resort to self-help.”
Chairman of Amotekun Corps in the state, Kunle Togun, former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI) and former Deputy Director-General of the State Security Service, had on Wednesday, June 2, this year, raised the alarm that foreign Fulani had saturated the entire Southwest and ready to strike the geo-political zone.
He raised the alarm during a lecture on the topic: Security Challenges: ‘The Significance of Regional Security Dimensions,’ organised by the Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies (IPSS) Students’ Association, University of Ibadan.
But he enjoined all residents of Southwest to prepare for self-defence because the invaders had concluded all arrangements to strike on the claims that God had given the land of Nigeria, especially the South West to them as an inheritance.
“The foreign Fulani herdsmen have invaded South West. There is nowhere in the Southwest that they are not. They are there. They are the okada riders. They are the ones using wheelbarrows to sell carrots and other things. I said they are foot soldiers. These okada people, many of them, have weapons under the seats of the motorcycles.
“They said they have come in to take the inheritance given to them by Allah, and that is Nigerian land, particularly South West. So, they will still strike. I am not just screaming aloud. So, everybody has to be ready. Everyone should go and learn how to fight. If it is a cutlass, buy it, learn how to use it, and keep in your house for self-defence. If it is a knife, buy it to defend yourself. You have to defend yourself. Before they kill you, defend yourself. I know it,” Togun had said.
But Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State, Adewale Osifeso, could not be reached on his mobile phone on Sunday morning via calls and text message, to confirm the number of casualties and property destroyed.
Sun/NewsScroll
