Suspected Herdsmen Attack Ondo Community

Suspected Fulani herdsmen have purportedly ambushed the town of Akunnu-Akoko in Akoko North East Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The invasion follows a youth protest by community members rallying against the presence of herdsmen and calling on them to relocate.

On Monday night, the Fulani herdsmen arrived the community in four trucks, Daily Sun reported.

Naija News gathered that vigilantes patrolling the town in the night heard of the development and immediately reported the incident to some community leaders.

Speaking on the incident, the Chairman, Akunu Akoko Progressive Union, Mr. Tunde Bayode said, the Fulani men confessed that they left Iseyin in Oyo state for Akunu after getting an invitation by one of them identified as Doya Bello who lives in Akunu-Akoko.

Criticising the incident, Mr. Bayode stated that the people of the town now live in palpable fear as they feel unsafe. He alleged that “this may be an attempt to engage our land in Fulani colony as proposed by the federal government.”

“We are calling on relevant authorities to come to our rescue and chase these Fulanis away. They are known to be arsonists, rapists and killers. We don’t want our land to be used for Fulani colony. This is unaccepted to us and they must leave our community” he stated.

He claimed that a lot of women in the town had been sexually violated by Fulani working as herdsmen, emphasizing that the invasion of the town by Fulanis poses serious threat to all the residents of the town.

The chairman, Akoko North East Local Government Area, Mr. Rafiu Eniayewu said he had moved round the town in the company of security agents.

He enjoined residents to remain calm and not take laws into their hands by carrying out reprisal attacks in causing crisis in the town.

The Police Area Commander in charge of the area, Mr. AbdulRauf Abduirazak, said the police are on top of the situation, saying that they are closely monitoring the activities of the Fulani herdsmen in the town.