Nationnewslead reports that The traditional ruler of Igangan, the town that hosted Yoruba freedom fighter Sunday Adeyemo (aka Sunday Igboho) on Friday, Oba Lasisi Adeoye, has described him as “God-sent.”
Igboho stormed the sleepy town in Ibarapa North Local Government, Oyo State on Friday with youths in the town who dislodged suspected criminals and kidnappers
About 11 vehicles were burnt. The fighter also addressed a crowd of youths and residents before leaving the town. The incident has since triggered a national controversy.
The action followed the expiration of Igboho’s seven-day ultimatum issued to the head of the Fulani community to vacate Ibarapa land or incur his wrath. The ultimatum lapsed on Thursday.
Oba Adeoye said last night that Igboho was God-sent to his kingdom because all efforts to get help to protect his subjects from criminal-herders had been unsuccessful. He said some leading lights among his subjects had been hacked down mercilessly.
He said: “Sunday Igboho is God-sent. You heard all that has been happening here in Igangan and other parts of Ibarapa. They killed Dr Aborode. He was returning from his farm when he was attacked. He offered them money but they said it was his life they needed to take. They also killed a petrol dealer mercilessly. Our women can’t go to farm because they are raped continuously. Our men are also afraid of going to farm whereas farming is our major occupation here. They destroy our farm lands through grazing of their cows. All these have destroyed our economy. We reported several times without any solution. These people are very stubborn and wicked. They have no respect for human life. If they collect money and release their victims it would have been better.”
When asked if the community had taken the case to government, Oba Adeoye explained that his community had done that several times without any sucess.
Asked if the Fulani living among people in the town play any role in the kidnapping, armed robbery and rape, the monarch said he could not fully exonerate them because the criminals hide at Kara (cattle market) after attacking their victims. Kara is located in conspicuous places in communities. “Kara is where the criminals take refuge. They also use the Kara in Igbo-Ora for cover.”
Commissioner of Police (CP) Mrs Ngozi Onadeko and the state government delegation led by the Special Adviser to Governor Seyi Makinde on security Mr Fatai Owoseni visited Igangan yesterday for on-the-spot assessment of the incident and its impact. They met with the traditional ruler and other stakeholders.
Both the CP and Owoseni, who is a retired CP, urged all aggrieved residents to sheath their swords and give peace a chance. They advised youths to be careful not to allow anyone use them as pawn. They pledged to protect lives and property in the community.
The two teams also visited Ago-Are and Tede communities in Oke-Ogun area of the state where there was a communal clash on Saturday. Onadeko and Owoseni appealed to the two communities to see themselves as brothers and sisters since they have lived together for decades.
Addressing stakeholders and youths from the communities, Owoseni said he was mandated by Governor Seyi Makinde to look into the crises in the community and ensure peace was restored in the area.
He said: “This is an evidence of what the governor is doing on the security situation in the state. He started with us. We went to Igangan together. While the crisis in Igangan was brewing, that was when we heard that these two communities – Tede and Ago-Are are also at war.
“The purpose of coming here today is to nip in the bud this communal fight. There is an immediate and remote cause but in order to quickly make it not to fester, we are here.
“Let us put sentiment and politics aside. From what we heard there, it is not as if the community is against one ethnic group. What they are claiming and the allegation they have made is that a particular person, who they are now seeing to symbolise an entire ethnic group, has been misbehaving. It is just like what the governor has been saying; that there is trust-deficit between the people and the government, mistrust between the people and law enforcement agencies.
“If you look at the catalogue of what has been said, the few have not been given justice and they feel that someone has been stalling justice. They feel that someone has been dropping names in order to oppress the community. I believe that with the steps that have been taken to mend all these gaps and with the assurance that the Commissioner of Police has given that they will look at all the cases again, there will be a change.
“There a lot of narratives that have not been given out. Everybody believes that kidnapping, assassination had taken place in Igangan and it seems the government was not doing anything. Truth is, 51 suspects have been in detention for various offences that bother on this kidnapping.
“Arrests were made. Some have been arraigned in court. Some are awaiting trial. For some, investigation are still ongoing, which we made them know. Everyone will learn lessons especially the police officer that was accused of complicity in some of these cases. The CP has given that assurance that every victim will get justice and all the allegations they have made as to the Seriki colluding with criminals will be looked into.”
Onadeko assured that the command would do everything possible to protect lives and property.
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