The traditional rulers in Ibarapa axis of Oyo State have vowed not to sell lands to either Fulani Herdsmen or Bororo, as one of the means and strategies to curtail the ravaging insecurity in the region and sustenance of peace and unity.
His Royal Majesty, Reverend Aderoju Kingsley, The Onidere Of Idere Land, granted the newsmen an interview on behalf of the council in Ibarapa after a closed door meeting with the governor where he disclosed they would henceforth stop the selling of lands to Fulani Herdsmen and Bororo.
Oba Aderoju Kingsley who is the secretary of the council told the press the outcome of the meeting and ways forward on how to sustain peace in the axis of pacesetter state.
“We are here to see the Governor in order to discuss the issues affecting us in ibarapa land but first of all, we appreciate the Governor because this is the first time we see the governor in our midst in Ibarapa land, so we are here to appreciate him and what he has done for us.
“Concerning the issue in Ibarapa as a whole on security, we have discussed at length with the governor. And governor has promised us that he is going to look into the matter”.
“We are going to have a statutory meeting mainly in our area, the three local government areas. Governor promised welfare for people in that area and also talked about setting up a committee for peace and security members in all the three local government. He is going to use Ibarapa as a case study and later extend to other area of the local government. Those are what our discussion was all about, the rest are indoor, he said.
“As it is, I can assure you that peace has returned to Ibarapa land, since the governor visited us, the situation has been arrested and everything has returned to normal”.
When asked about the popular Wakil Iskilu who is said to be terrorising the area, he answered by saying, “Wakil is not the only problem in Ibarapa, we have problems and it is general, we can not just mention the name of one person because if we are talking of Wakil, what of those who are not Wakils and are troubling us? All we want is for the government to send all the criminals away from Ibarapa”.
He was also asked about the alleged influx of the herdsmen back to Ibarapa land and the action taken about it but the king refused to say anything on that but rather said, “we are going to inaugurate the peace and security members in all the local government on the 15th of February, I can not say anything now until then, that’s when commissioners and governors will come down to Ibarapa again to inaugurate the committee”.
“Either anyone sold out land to the herdsmen or not, first thing that I will assure you is that peace will continue to reign in Ibarapa land and its environ. Secondly, It is now a thing of the past about selling of lands to either Fulani or Bororo, we are now in a new era. We will all know what plan the government will come out with on the 15th of this month”, he submitted.
