Youths from Iganga, Ibarapa area of Oyo State have demanded justice for the death of a chieftain of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Fatai Aborode and other innocent residents who have been gruesomely killed by the suspected Fulani herdsmen.
The youths who carried banners, placards and sang solidarity songs staged a peaceful protest to the Oyo State Governors Office, Agodi Secretariat, Ibadan on Tuesday.
The slained Aborode was a former House of Representatives Candidate under the platform of Accord Party at the 2015 general election and the Chief Executive Officer of Kunfayakun Green Treasure Limited.
Some of the inscriptions on their placards reads “Kidnapping and killings must stop”, End farmers bloodshed in Igangan”, “Fulani must stop raping our women”, We demand justice for all our slain people”, “Stop the Fulani massacre of Ibarapa people”, “Crush banditry now” and “Stop the Fulani killing us”, among other inscriptions.
Speaking, the Convener, Igangan Development Advocate (IDA), Mr Oladokun Oladiran lamented that the government not make any open condemnation of the act since the killings started in the region.
He said “We are not anti-government, we are also in government and we want government to work. During election times they can come to our own Ibarapa and seek for votes and now that we are being slaughtered, where is their presence?
“Where is the government presence and why have they been silent after all these time that these issues have started. Why hasn’t the government made any open denouncement of these and we are left in silence”.
Also speaking, the President, IDA, Mr Wale Oladoukn, said the youths decided on the protest to press home their demand for justice on all the people of Igangan and Ibarapa in general who have been gruesomely murdered by Fulanis in the region.
“We are here to press home our demand on the killings. On how to fashion out a way on the killings and carnage perpetrated by Fulanis on our lands in Iganga and entire Ibarapaland. They have been killing our farmers, raping our women and we have been writing and shouting about it but nothing has happened.
“We have been killed severally in our large numbers. We demand an immediate action on stopping the Fulani carnage and brutalizing activities going-on on our lands. They have rendered people homeless.
“The last one you are seeing is the death of Dr Fatai Aborode, a Ph.D holder from the University of Abadeen, UK. He abandoned his family and came home to our homeland to venture into mechanized farming.
“He ventured into mechanized farming of over 500hectares of land and on Friday (last week), while coming back from the farm, he was waylaid, ambushed and gruesomely murdered like a chicken.
“He was butchered, even if he lived, he couldn’t have survived because they ensured they butchered him.
“Right now, what we are demand is the immediate deployment of Amotekun corps into our region, the Ibarapa region and Iganga in particular as well as a establishment of a media laison office in Iganga, so as to cover all the injustices happening there.
“We want open grazing to stop. They are killing our people and we want government to be informed. We lack media presence and which is why the illicit act is being committed. We need the Governor to dispatch the Amotekun Corps to our farms and stop the killings”, he said.
While receiving the protesting youth on behalf of the government, Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan commended the youths on their civility and love for the lives of the people of the region.
He explained that the slained Aborode was more of a brother and partner to him, adding that the government is doing a whole lot to arrest the situation, but that the efforts cannot be made public through the media.
Olaniyan said “I want to inform you that, the death of Aborode is more painful to me than to anyone else. We have so many things in common and we have some secrets we share.
“Politically, we have relationship and even outside of politics. We are like siblings. He would come all the way from Igangan and met me at Igboho. There were times he came alone, there were times he came with the family and many other things. I’m the one who knows how his death touches me more than you all.
“But, let me assure you that government is doing a lot on its own part to forestall such happenings in Ibarapa and all over Oyo state.
“But, we don’t have to have to go to the pages of newspaper on the efforts we are making. When we do that, the bad ones will also make counter efforts. So, don’t think the government is not making any efforts. The government is making many so many efforts.
“Specifically, we are mobilizing the Amotekun with vehicles. I want to assure you that the Governor is not happy about it and by God’s grace, those who committed the act will be caught, I can assure you.”
Aborode was shot dead by unknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen while leaving his farm premises at around 4pm last week Friday.
