An Osun-based Fulani herder, Saheed Momodu, tells BOLA BAMIGBOLA how some gunmen invaded their settlement and killed his aged father alongside his two wives and three grandchildren
Can we meet you?
My name is Saheed Yahaya. I am about 65 years old and I am the eldest child of Alhaji Yaya Momodu, who was killed on March 13 alongside his two wives and three grandchildren in Wasinmi, Osun State.
Where were you when that attack took place?
I was in my own house. It was located few metres away from my father’s house. I was not far from the scene when the village came under an attack.
Can you describe how the attack happened?
I was inside my house when I started hearing the sound of gunshots. I ran out of the house and rushed down to Wasinmi to call vigilantes. About 20 vigilantes followed me back to the village. However, before we got there, the assailants had already wreaked havoc and left.
How many people were killed?
They killed my father, mother, stepmother and my nephews and niece. We saw five corpses that were stacked but my father’s corpse was kept apart.
Who do you think was behind the attack or the motivation behind it?
I don’t know. We had no problem with anyone. Since our arrival in the community, we’ve never fought with anyone. We’ve never been arrested over any issue.
Whenever there was any issue, those offended would come and we would negotiate and the matter would be settled without even getting to the police station.
Is it true that the land your family settled on is disputed?
We are not fighting with anyone over the land. The fight over the land involved some people claiming ownership. We don’t have land there, as we are sojourners. We are not fighting with anyone over land.
When did your family arrive in Osun State?
My father came to Osun in 1986. He brought us here as children. Baba had many wives and 18 children. Two of his children have died, leaving 16 of us.
Where did you come from?
We are from Ilorin, Kwara State.
Did you live elsewhere in Osun before settling in Wasinmi?
Yes, Edunabon was the first place my father settled when he arrived in the state. It was from there he moved to Wasinmi in 2003.
What kind of work was your father doing?
He was both a herder and a farmer, which are the same things that some of us, his children, are doing. Those that are not engaging in farming or animal husbandry learnt various vocations, such as bricklaying, tyre repairs and auto mechanic work. But many of my siblings have also returned to Ilorin, our hometown. There are only four of us left in Osun and out of the four, only two of us lived close to baba. The two others live at Owode-Ede.
How old was your father?
He was above 100 years of age. He was very old and I was the closest person to him. Because of his advanced age, baba could not go out again. Whenever he wanted to go out, I was the one who took him. If I didn’t take him out for two months, he would not go anywhere.
As herders, was there ever a clash between you and farmers in Wasinmi?
Whenever our cows grazed on people’s farms, we negotiated. Anytime such an incident happened, there would be an attempt to arrest us, but nothing of such ever happened. We are peace-loving. We would rather negotiate than go to the police over any issue. Since the attack, we have been wondering what might have motivated it. There was no fight whatsoever between us and anyone.
Since you said your family has no land in Wasinmi, did your father have any plan to return to Ilorin, particularly as he was old?
Yes, he was planning to return home. He had been a sojourner for the better part of his life. He was already making plans to relocate to Ilorin before he was killed.
The police said they have commenced investigation into the incident. What is your reaction to this?
I am satisfied. My kinsmen wanted to retaliate and turn the matter to a fight. I have tried my best to calm the situation and caution them against picking a fight with anybody.
I pray that God will expose the evil-doers. A lot of policemen have been coming here since the incident happened; I urge the investigators to work tirelessly and ensure that the evil-doers that perpetrated the act are brought to book.
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