Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) in Oyo state, Alhaji Ibrahim Jiji, has raised the alarm over a recent attack on the lives and property of some Fulani people in Gbepakan village, in the Saki West local government area of Oyo state.
Jiji appealed to the federal and Oyo state governments as well as the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to intervene in the development in order that culprits are apprehended and prosecuted.
Meanwhile, the acting governor of Oyo state, Mr Bayo Lawal, in a statement, had assured that the perpetrators of the attack would be brought to book, noting that investigations were ongoing as the state commissioner of Police had already paid a visit to assess the situation.
The deputy governor, who gave the assurance when he paid an on-the-spot assessment visit to the village last Thursday, pledged that the state government would not relent in securing the lives and property of people in the state.
The MACBAN chairman, said that the reported attack on Tuesday night, August 26, 2024, claimed lives of 11 people and left many injured, adding that the injured are currently receiving treatment at the Baptist Hospital, Saki.
Jiji, who asked the IGP to investigate some people in the area, said that the Fulani people had been asked, weeks before the attack, to vacate the village or be ready to face dire consequences.
The Oyo MACBAN chairman, however, said that his association would use all lawful means to seek justice and would not resort to taking laws into their own hands.
He also appealed to the governments, and the IGP to intervene and ensure that the culprits are apprehended and prosecuted.
A human rights lawyer, Barrister Mashood Agboola Yussuf, who is a legal counsel to the association, described the alleged attack on the Fulani community as gruesome and barbaric, adding that a petition would be submitted to the IGP on the matter.
The counsel said that the incident had raised concerns about the safety of people within the village, and called for urgent action to address the development.
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