Following the peace move between the herdsmen and the residents of Kajola, Ayete in Ibarapa North LGA of Oyo State by Governor Seyi Makinde, the residents have staged a protest against the action.
They appealed to the Yoruba rights activist, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, also known as Sunday Igboho, to come to their rescue from armed herdsmen headed by one Iskilu Wakil.
Makinde had on Sunday night met with selected stakeholders, local government chairpersons and political office holders from Ibarapa zone, promising to have a peace meeting with all affected communities.
Reacting to the move during the protest, the farmers in the village led by Peter David claimed that Wakil and his fellow armed Fulani men had driven them away as soon as a quit notice was served on him.
David said government security agencies, including Amotekun Corps, had failed to confront Wakil, who they accused of having sophisticated weapons and terrorising the villagers.
He said the people had been suffering incessant attacks and destruction of their farms from Wakil and his gang for long, adding that they had asked him to vacate their land when the Seriki Fulani in Igangan, Salihu Abdukadir, was given a quit notice by Igboho.
David, who owns a farm in Kajola village, narrated that the people, who came from Ayete to hand over the quit notice to the Fulani leader, narrowly escaped because they were well fortified.
He said, “When the crisis started in Igangan, the owners of the land where Wakil is staying also said he should leave. Those ones were attacked and they ran back.
“He (Wakil) has driven farmers away from the village. This is harvest time for cashew and the people have been driven away.
“Just a few of us who are real men are still around; all the women and children and some men have fled the village. Even those of us in the village also go to town at night.
“Some soldiers came and we were told the Fulani did not allow them (soldiers) to go into their settlement.
“They were said to have just discussed with them on the road but they were not allowed into their settlement.
“We are pleading with Sunday Igboho to come to our rescue. The police and Amotekun have refused to help us. So, we will appreciate it if he can come here also to help us.”
The Asawo of Ayete, Oba Emmanuel Okeniyi, had earlier told our correspondent that Wakil had become a terror to the villagers.
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