The monarch stated that the Fulani herdsmen in Igangan had become notorious for many crimes such as rape, kidnapping and robbery and whenever their matter was reported to the Seriki Fulani, Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadir, he did nothing.
The Asigangan of Igangan land, Ibarapa, Oyo State, Oba Adewuyi Olaoye, has said that he had already demanded that the Seriki Fulani should leave Igangan land because of the many atrocities of the herdsmen even before popular Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, otherwise known as Sunday Ogboho, gave his controversial ultimatum to Fulani people in the area.
The monarch stated that the Fulani herdsmen in Igangan had become notorious for many crimes such as rape, kidnapping and robbery and whenever their matter was reported to the Seriki Fulani, Alhaji Saliu Abdulkadir, he did nothing.
Oba Olaoye stated this in an interview with SaharaReporters, adding that he did not marry any Fulani woman as being insinuated in some quarters.
The monarch said, “I have on several occasions visited the Commissioner of Police, to complain but it yielded no result. When one of my chiefs had issues with Fulani, we went to the police and as we speak, we have not heard anything about the outcome of the case. Our people cannot go to their farms again. When our wives are coming from farm, the Fulani herdsmen rape many of them.
“On the cow market that was closed, we traditional rulers in Ibarapa land agreed with the government to close down the market because of the kidnapping, rape, and killing of our people by Fulani people. That is where they use it as a hideout.
“Now that our subjects are adamant that they don't want them again, the government needs to act now. There must be a lasting solution to it. If they are ready to live peacefully with our people, maybe our people may have a rethink. But for now, I don't have an option but to support my people. I support whatever they want because we are all residents of Igangan.
“It is a lie that is far from the truth that I married a Fulani woman. My wife is from Ayete, and her name is Afuzat. Her father is from Ayete and her mother is from Idere. I don't have any relationship with Fulani in my life. I never dated a Fulani woman before.
“I don't have even a chicken with them let alone buy cows and put in their care. We had heard about some of the atrocities committed by Seriki Fulani even before the recent events but since he was caught red-handed, we couldn't act.
“I had told him to leave even before Igboho came to Igangan because I didn't want a crisis in Igangan but he didn't. This is because of what people are saying about him. It is true my son was kidnapped. His name is Monsuru. We saw him five days after he was abducted. They trailed him to where he was praying in the mosque. They also pretended to be praying. We paid a ransom to rescue the boy.”
The monarch noted that the lasting solution was for Fulani leaders to talk to their people in the language they understood to live peacefully.
“Some of them have changed from what they used to be. They have turned themselves to Boko Haram in Yorubaland,” he added.