Community leaders accuse police of wrongfully tagging kinsmen bandits after killing them during face-off at forest

The Yewa North Patriotic Forum representing Ayetoro, Saala Orile, Erinpa and neighbourhood in Ogun State has kicked against police claimed that, those killed during a gun duel were bandits traced to be residents of the communities.

Penpushing reports that, it is recalled that a gang of suspected bandits shot dead a Police Inspector, Omolayo Olajide, on Tuesday during a gun battle between the police and  bandits at Saala Orile forest, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi who confirmed the incident said two suspects believed to be members of the gang were mauled down by police superior fireworks during the encounter

Penpushing further reports that, in reaction to the statement, the Forum Public Relations Officer, Ganiyu Fatolu, however faulted police press statement linking some indigenes of the affected town as members of the gang shot dead.

The group posited that, contrary to this,  the bandits were Fulani herdsmen known to have been terrorizing the communities, and following police presence, the bandits engaged police fire in gun duel, which resulted in the casualties recorded

‘It is saddening  and unacceptable that the police could descend that low to support those suspected Fulani herdsmen which they have known from time immemorial to have been terrorizing the farmers, kidnapping and killing innocent citizens’, the statement reads.

‘It is a deliberate fabrication  by the police to tag innocent villagers living within Ayetoro, Saala Orile, Erinpa and neighbourhood as bandits. This obviously was done in a rush to cover up the unprofessional way its men handled the conflict at Saala Orile’, the forum declared.

‘It is an indictment on the Nigeria Police that really know who the terrorists are but decided to take side in the defense of the real aggressors, who are the Fulani herders, thereby branding the indigenous farmers who are the victims as bandits’.

‘We therefore demand that the Nigeria Police withdraw the terror brand placed on the innocent people of Yewa who are known for their legendary peaceful nature, and then conduct a thorough investigation into the crisis with a view to unveiling who the criminal elements terrorizing our neighbourhood are’.

‘It is very regrettable that the Ogun State Command of Nigeria Police Force could at this time be irresponsible and take the path of injustice in handling their national duties, despite the numerous meetings organized with herders and farmers within this area to call for peace’, the body said.

‘The Executive members of this forum had also held series of security meetings with the top hierarchy of security agencies in the state most especially the Commissioner of Police and Director of State Security Service’, the statement noted.

‘The facts on ground which the police want to cover is that it was these inhuman, self-centered and primitive Fulani herdsmen, who do not think good of others, that settle and make their cattle graze freely on other people’s farms thereby destroying their means of livelihood’.

‘Regardless of the State Anti Open Grazing law, same thing happened in this instance as the herdsmen with their animals entered the farms of innocent farmers at Saala Orile, Erinpa, Agada and Ogodo destroying the farms’.

‘The farmers then called on the local hunters to help send the animals away. It was at this point the well armed Fulani herders brought out weapons and attacked both the hunters and farmers’, the forum stated.

‘The Fulani herdsmen then called the police who promptly responded whereas they never responded to the previous calls by the farmers to come for their protection; they always gave excuses and would not even attend to their calls’.

‘When the police arrived, they gave cover to the herders and opened fire on the responding hunters. It was during this exchange that one policeman died. When the police retreated, they met two men on motorcycle. They obviously were going to their farms, but in the anger that one of them had died all the explanations of these poor souls fell on deaf ears’.

‘They were shot at close range by one of the policemen and killed instantly. One of them is Akanji from Ijaka-Oke who was going to his farm at Adekan. The Police lied! They are not bandits! Our people are not bandits! We call on the Inspector General of Police to investigate these gruesome murder by his men and ensure the perpetrators are brought to book’.

Penpushing also reports that, the forum threw some questions to the police in regards the ugly development which include: What happened at the sight of the Agbekoyas?, who called them, where were the victims tagged bandits killed? And where were the Fulanis that they came to protect when all these incidents unfolded?

The other questions are: What led to the shootout between them and the Agbekoyas?, how many Fulani Herders were affected, arrested or killed?, can they come out to tell the whole world how many indigenes were touched by stray bullets?, has there been any occasion when farmers at Saala Orile, Erinpa, Ogodo came to them to complain about the Fulani herders invading their farms and the destruction made on their farms?, and do they meet any Agbekoya at the scene of this incident when they came back the second time to pick the Hilux that was vandalized?

‘It is our people that are always at the receiving end of these barbaric attacks and numerous cases of kidnappings, killings involving unknown Fulani herders from 2020 till now. It is obvious that the Nigeria Police Force and other relevant authorities are biased and mostly act as toothless bulldogs whose hands and legs are tied and they couldn’t nail the truth on the head’, the forum said.

‘We cannot but conclude that they are currying the favour of President Muhammadu Buhari the herders being his kinsmen but they should remember that history will not forget the parts that they played in promoting violence in the hitherto peaceful Yewa area’Fatolu wrote.

‘We are using this medium to warn village heads and chiefs most especially the Baale of Saala Orile, Chief Adeyemi Ramoni, who harbours Fulani herdsmen against the wish of their subjects to desist from such acts or be ready to dance to the tune of its consequences sooner or later’.

Penpushing reports that, the forum while acknowledging roles of Governor  Dapo Abiodun, in addressing the incessant attacks by the herdsmen, however, encouraged him to do more, and prayed that  God Almighty will continue to strengthen him

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