By KEMI KASUMU
“Come to talk of it, how many of these allegations against these Fulani herdsmen (Sariki and Wakili) have you proved and in which court and has any court convicted either of them? Even if convicted, where is it the responsibility of Sunday Igboho or any OPC person to enforce court judgement on security? The last time I checked, Nigeria belonged to the people and the ‘people’ used for Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo and is governed by law. Now you have burned down Fulani houses and killed some of them and their cows in Oyo and Ogun states because some criminals hide under ‘cattle rearing’ and you know. Who then pays for the innocent Fulani souls you took and who pays for their properties you destroyed?”
Members of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), last Sunday, set on fire a Fulani settlement at Kajola, in Ibarapa area of Oyo State, in an attempt to arrest an elderly blind man, known as the Wakilin Fulani, who they alleged albeit without evidence to be a kidnap gang leader and amplified by some media as “Fulani war lord'” commanding the kidnap and killing activities in the Yoruba community of Oyo State.
The OPC militia, Sunday Igboho and some other fellow Yoruba ethnocentric Nigerians, who believe them, have been blaming many kidnap crimes in the land on Fulani thus threatening and campaigning unabatedly that Fulani, not only in Oyo State but also by extension, Yoruba Land must quit. Why no such threat ever succeeded against any other Nigerian tribes in the North, even when it became almost inevitable, these Yoruba ethnic militants not only carried out their eviction threat against Fulani and their leaders bit also they killed, burned down their houses and looted source of their economy.
These and many others, including the yet to erase, Shasha killing born by ethnic cleansing on the part of the militants, don’t be with Sunday Igboho and OPC leaders still moving freely in the streets are making lips wag with many unanswered questions still lingering. Fulani are themselves victims of same criminalities that, in truth, are also suffered in South West because many of the cattle rearers seen in the bushes are either the uneducated, foreigners coopted as tools by Boko Haram terrorists or deliberately created members of the affected parts who are also criminals but using the identify of Fulani herdsmen of Nigeria.
There was the case of Samuel Udoetuk Wills and John Orji, both Igbo Nigerians but operated kidnap of four girls in Ghana claiming to be Fulani herdsmen in Nigeria, Samuel Wills claiming to be Buba Mohammed. They not only kidnapped but the Takoradi, Ghana’s innocent girls and they were reported in Nigeia as extension of Fulani’s ‘criminalities’ to justify hostilities against the race in Nigeria until the revelation by International Passport of Wills was found to be fake Fulani herdsman.
To these ethnic fighters waging onslaught against Fulani in Yoruba Land, the wrong notion by Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) as it is mainly said in some quarters is correct. It was and still the CAN’s propaganda to say what is called Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorism in the North East, now extended through the North Central and North West to the South West and South East bushes, is nothing but Islamisation and Northernisation Agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari Administration to convert Nigeria to Islamic State and take over the entire land of the people as Fulaji empire. It has been in the habit of CAN to compile list of Christians and Southerners among killings or attacks involving more Muslims and Northerners and push it through the local media to the international communities and foreign media. One of the evident consequences of that unpatriotic behaviour, we gathered, caused President Donald Trump’s unfortunate question to President Buhari asking, “Why are you killing Christians in Nigeria?”
This has been the main departure between fighting terrorism and insurgency in a cosmopolitan society that Nigeria is and other places in the world. The Christian Association of Nigeria, our investigations revealed, allegedly helped enemies and elements unhappy with Nigeria’s continued unity and stronger opportunities to politicize, religionize and ethnicize the country’s security challenges and today, an entire tribe and a whole religious comunity have become endangered species in their own country of birth.
As the Fulani is put on the shelf painted to be the number one enemy of Yoruba and Igbo peoples of Nigeria – although history dug up from the archives proves that notion wrong – the Muslims and their religion of Islam are categorized by Bishop of Sokoto Diocese of Sokoto to be a religion with a pool of violence, while castigating the Fulani President as a leader with penchant for nepotism thereby calling for a military coup against his democratically constituted government.
This is the campaign, we gathered, being projected at the South West level by Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a. Sunday Igboho and South East level by Nnamdi Kanu and for which reasons Igboho killed the only sibbling of Sariki Fulani of Oyo State, Alhaji Salihu AbdulKadir, who is now away in Ilorin, and many other Fulani people, looting their cows and burning down their properties including Sariki’s house and cars, and Nnamdi Kanu has been running his proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) terrorism activities with purpose of his war to antagonize and exterminate the Fulani race in Nigeria.
The claims of Igboho that his Yoruba people need liberation can be understandable, according to some of our respondents, but they are asking “liberation from who and what?”. They are of the opinion that Igboho would do a more acceptable struggle but away from thought of liberating the Yoruba because, one of them said, “To say you are fighting to liberate Yoruba from those depriving them from moving forward is to say, in actual fact, that you are fighting to liberate the Yoruba from themselves. Can you bring out one administration since independence that Yoruba did not play active roles? All the monies and opportities that Yoruba Land of South West was entitled to, you will be right that they have been underdeveloped for long if you can confirm to me that those monies and opportities were not given to them. If they have been getting those benefits including huge unaccounted security votes and the governors can use the security agencies for own political interests although they eroneously claim they have no control of security bring Federal in nature, then, what justification has Sunday Igboho and his backers for their claims
Sunday Igboho has never hidden in his video releases that he has problem with Fulani living in Yoruba Land and, as known thug of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Muhammadu Buhari as the man in charge of power in the country. His reason is clear, that Fulani people, like CAN sold to the ethnicists, are kidnapping, killing and raping his Yoruba people with intent to take over their land backed by the President. This, we learned, further escalated to the demand for Oduduwa Republic with the protagonists believing that, since Fulani in control of power has underdeveloped their region for ages, a secession into Yoruba’s own country will make the people to easily develop their region and themselves.
Although many of the claims got neutralised, they never subsided. So far, they have come face-to-face with facts of how criminals terrorising, not only Yoruba but also all regions of the country are largely Igbo and Yoruba who either operate under identity of Fulani herdsmen or are sponsored by their Obas and elites to commit most of the criminalities and tag them against Fulani herdsmen and Fulanisation or Northernisation Agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari to justify their extinction of Fulani from Yoruba Land.
In the process of the latest Yoruba fighters’ attacks regarding the Wakilin Fulani’s home, according to Daily Trust, a woman, suspected to be the Wakili’s wife, was killed in the inferno while setting his house on fire.
The police later confirmed the attack and the murder of the woman and had arrested three of the OPC members but fellow Yoruba people kicked, saying for exposing criminal Fulani leader to police should not attract arrest.
Fedrick Nwabufo, a Nigerian Journalist and writer, asked to know how Yoruba ethnic fighters are going to justify pampering political thug and tribalist fighter Sunday Igboho hailing him as freedom fighter while they condemn a blind, near crippled old man in Isikilu Wakili as “criminal Fulani war lord'”.
Chairman of the Oyo State chapter of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN), Alhaji Abubakar Jijji, who confirmed the attack to Daily Trust, said the action was a setback to the association’s search for peace and harmony.
The Oyo State Police Command, in a statement by its spokesperson, CSP Fadeyi Olugbenga, said at around 9 am on Sunday, it was alerted that some unidentified persons, who were later found to be members of the OPC, had invaded Kajola community.
“The invasion was reportedly aimed at arresting one Wakili, a Fulani by tribe, who is alleged to be the sponsor and mastermind of various criminal attacks against the people/farmers of Yoruba origin in the community.
“The State Commissioner of Police has quickly moved into action and preliminary findings revealed that some OPC members went to Kajola community in Ibarapa North Local government Area of Oyo State.”
The police confirmed that the house of the wakili was set ablaze, while an unidentified female was burnt in the fire.
The wakili, who the police said is about 75-years-old and blind, and two other persons were apprehended by the OPC gang.
“The three of them are presently in the custody of the Police. The Commissioner of Police has directed that Wakili (due to his frail appearance and state of health), be moved to the Hospital, while others are being interrogated. Others being interrogated are the OPC members, involved in arson and murder.”
The chairman of Miyetti Allah in Oyo state, described the attack as unjust and unfortunate, saying his association has been working closely with the state government on ways to find a lasting solution to insecurity bedevilling the state.
He bemoaned what he described as incessant attacks by members of the OPC and Amotekun on members of the Fulani ethnic groups and their settlements.
“They recently went to Bode Musa market and shot our people that went to transact their legal businesses. They killed our people over a very minor altercation.
“Just two days ago, they killed two old men, and five other persons sustained gunshots. We have their pictures and all pieces of evidence that the authorities may require. In Agware, Amotekun went there and killed people. They went to seize machetes from the Fulani which they resisted and they killed them.
“They should understand that herdsmen cannot go without a knife and machetes because they use it to slaughter their sick animals.”
Jijji said MACBAN will hand over anybody suspected to have committed an offence to security operatives for investigation. Surprisingly, they don’t differentiate between criminals and innocent citizens. They visit markets and shot indiscriminately at people who come to transact businesses.”
Jijji said the attack on Kajola came as Fulani leaders were working with security and community leaders to investigate allegations labelled against the Wakili.
“We advised security operatives to form a committee that will investigate his case and come up with a fair report of whether he committed the said offence they accused of or not.”
In the meantime, some Yoruba ethnocentric Nigerians got angry during the week, upon news that the OPC members, who were involved in the arson and murder in the house of Fulani leader, Wakili, had been arrested. They believe that, for killing Fulani people and setting their houses on fire, they should be awarded accolades, our source said.
He added, “Come to talk of it, how many of these allegations against these Fulani herdsmen (Sariki and Wakili) have you proved and in which court and has any court convicted either of them? Even if convicted, where is it the responsibility of Sunday Igboho or any OPC person to enforce court judgement on security? The last time I checked, Nigeria belonged to the people and the ‘people’ used for Hausa-Fulani, Yoruba and Igbo and is governed by law.
“Now that you have burned down Fulani houses and killed some of them and their cows in Oyo and Ogun states because some criminals hide under ‘cattle rearing’ and you know, an which we all have security and intelligence alerts about long ago, committing all these without justifiable reasons except that you are merely being hateful of them. You claim Fulani killed Aborode but you now know Aborode was killed for political reasons and not by Fulani as confirmed by your PDP state government. Can you now resurrect those innocent Fulani you killed? Who then pays for the innocent Fulani souls you took and who pays for their properties you destroyed?” He asked.
Why we arested OPC members – Oyo Police
Oyo State Police Command last Sunday reportedly confirmed that three members of Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) were in custody for invading Fulani settlement and arresting blind old Fulani man, Isikilu Wakili.
The police said the three men were being interrogated for their involvement in arson and murder while carrying out the arrest of Wakili.
Oyo police spokesperson, Olugbenga Fadeyi, a Chief Superintendent of Police, also reportedly said the Commissioner of Police had directed that Wakili, due to his frail appearance and state of health, be moved to the hospital while others are being interrogated.
He said, “The Oyo State Police Command would like to inform the general public that at about 0900 hrs of date (7th March 2021), information was received that a group of persons, (later found out to be members of the Odua Peoples Congress- OPC), had invaded Kajola community in Ibarapa axis of the State.
“The invasion was reportedly aimed at arresting one Wakili, a Fulani by tribe, who is alleged to be the sponsor and mastermind of various criminal attacks against the people/farmers of Yoruba origin in the community.
“The Commissioner of Police has quickly moved into action and preliminary findings revealed that some OPC members went to Kajola community in Ibarapa North Local government Area of Oyo State.
“While there, the house of the Wakili in question was set ablaze, while a female (the identity of who is yet to be ascertained) was burnt in the fire and Wakili (about 75 years old and blind) with two other persons were picked up.
“The three of them are presently in the custody of the Police. The Commissioner of Police has directed that Wakili (due to his frail appearance and state of health), be moved to the hospital, while others are being interrogated. Others being interrogated are the OPC members, involved in arson and murder.
“Meanwhile, the Oyo State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that any person or group of persons from any region or tribe that has been found culpable to have committed any criminal act(s) in the State would not be spared but would be arrested and dealt with according to extant laws.
“In conclusion, anybody that has any case against Iskilu Wakili should report it to the State Criminal Investigation Department, (CID) Iyaganku Ibadan for discreet Investigation.”
