The unexplained invasion, killings in Oke-Ode, Kwara’s Fulani settlement

*Police yet to speak, as LG Chairman, Oke-Ode monarch, vigilante leadership unreachable

*Our case – Fulani community

*Says, “We have no helpers other than God in Nigeria as our Fulani people are easy targets for agents of ethnic cleansing”

By KEMI KASUMU and OUR REPORTER, Ilorin

In the aftermath of an armed robbery incident that occurred in Oke-Ode town, Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State on Tuesday January 16, 2024, another sad event happened with more colossal damages recorded, as vigilantes in the town were said to have unexplainably taken the law into their hands, invading the Fulani settlement in the area, killing five members, burning one of them inside his house, among other destruction of lives and property that took place.

The Fulani community in the area had rejected attempt by the Yoruba town to cover up an aided death of one of their (yet to be named) members, who was hit by stray bullet while a POS operator was robbed in the town, evening of same Tuesday, but was refused by the vigilantes to be rushed to the hospital for treatment.

They said the victim was one of two innocent victims of the robbery incident, the other being a Yoruba woman by name, Tinuade Tunde, popularly known as Iya Niyi, hit by stray bullet, but was made to die because of the town’s vigilantes’ action refusing him being taken to the hospital for immediate medical attention.

The Fulani community was worried although the media reported the Tuesday’s robbery incident but went blank on the near deplorable and calculated attacks that were carried out against their members the following day, Wednesday January 18, by vigilantes, who were supposed to offer local security protection to all people regardless of their tribes, religions or colours.

Some of the media had on Tuesday reported that a suspected armed robber was killed while a female resident, hit by a stray bullet, also lost her life during an attack on a POS kiosk in Oke-Ode community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of the state.

The report said it gathered some armed robbers stormed the community’s market on two motorcycles wielding AK-47 rifles, attacked a popular POS operator, AbdulRahman Mohammed, and robbed him. The gunmen were said to have been accosted by the police, which led to a gun duel in which one of the robbers was killed.

Kwara State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Ejire Adetoun Adeyemi, when called Thursday morning in an enquiry, confirmed to The DEFENDER that there was an incident of armed robbery on Tuesday but denied knowledge of the attack on Fulani settlement of Wednesday night, which led to the killing of some members, slaughtering of their cows, goats, setting ablaze of their houses and destruction of the grains and food reserves.

Although she promised getting back to us for her detailed update, the PPRO, who did not get back, had reportedly given her preliminary investigation report on the robber incident, the day before.

“Following the quick intervention of the police, one of the armed robbers was gunned down during an exchange of fire and he died on the spot.

“Unfortunately, another victim identified as Iya Niyi hit by a stray bullet died while two others who sustained injuries are receiving treatment at the Oke-Ode General Hospital.

“One AK-47 rifle was also recovered from the dead armed robber, while the motorcycles were picked after they ran into the bush.”

She said the police and vigilantes are presently combing the bush, the nooks and crannies of the town in a bid to clamp down on the fleeing members of the gang.

Our case – Fulani community

While the police intervention was commended, the Fulani people were not happy that their member, who was also hit by stray bullet as it was with Tinuade Tunde, was refused to be taken to the hospital by the vigilantes until he died.

As if that was not enough, they said, the following day the people believed to be Oke-Ode vigilantes invaded the Fulani settlement in the town killing five more people including one person burned alive inside his own abode, killing their animals and destroying their other property including food times, thus making the case of the Fulani in the matter a double jeopardy.

Speaking to The DEFENDER, Idris Abubakar, who was introduced as Kwara State Fulani Youth Leader, made his case known.

Abubakar, who spoke in Yoruba Language, explained: “Wallahi tallahi, we Fulani people have no supporter at all except God and we are suffering a lot.  It all started that some armed robbers went to that town called Oke-Ode and robbed a POS operator and they shot and killed him. Also there, they met a Fulani man on seat there and they also shot at him but he did not die.

“People wanted to carry the Fulani man to the hospital but the vigilantes refused saying ‘no way they will not let them take him to the hospital’. That was where they were until the police officers came and rescued the Fulani man from their hands and then took him to the hospital but, on getting to the hospital, he died immediately.

“Later, the town’s vigilantes gathered and went straight to the Fulani settlement where they burned down their houses. They met one man in his room and they burned him right inside the house. They killed up to five people in the Fulani settlement when they attacked their settlement yesterday (Wednesday) night. They killed those people and still killed their cows, goats, rams and burned their grains.”

Asked how it was possible that armed robbers would shoot to kill a Fulani man, who later died, and vigilantes who should provide community based security to the victim now went to the larger Fulani settlement and set the whole place ablaze killing more people, the Fulani youth leader gave took his time to explain.

“Not more than three months ago now, some kidnappers were arrested, taken to police headquarters in Ilorin and they have since been remanded. There was no single Fulani man among them. The arrested kidnappers were all Yoruba people. They are from the same Oke-Ode town and these same vigilantes joined the police operatives when they were arrested and it was the police that charged them to court after they confessed that they were kidnappers and that they themselves are Yoruba from Oke-Ode town,” he said.

He expressed that the vigilantes “just went and killed Fulani people, who are innocent and were living their lives peacefully in their houses in the settlement. They burned their houses, burned their guinea corns, maize, other grains that they had made for themselves in their food stock to survive and they still killed their goats, sheep, cows, and now there is nothing left even for those who were not killed to live their lives,” he said.

Ardo Kwara South, Ardo Adamu Manuga, who is the Sarkin Fulani in charge of the state side, Chairman, Ifelodun Local Government Area and the traditional ruler of Oke-Ode were all not available for their comments as at the time of filing this report.

But Idris Abubakar confirmed to The DEFENDER that the Fulani community had later on Wednesday held a meeting with Kwara State Commissioner of Police, the State Security Service leadership and other top security officers in the state during which, according to him, they formally lodged the complaint of what happened at the Fulani settlement and how no media was fair enough to even mention it for Nigerians to see the plight of the Fulani people in the state.

He lamented that the Fulani people in Nigeria are the most persecuted as easy targets for agents of ethnic cleansing, considering how they are killed without anyone willing to sympathise with them talk less to protect them.

The question on the lips of one of our respondents remained, “What is the connection between an armed robbery incident that left a Fulani dead and the larger Fulani community turning out to be the major victims as their settlement was further set ablaze, five other members killed and all their means of survival destroyed? Who are the vigilantes who did this, why and under what law did they act?