Skip to main content

Herdsmen Attacks: Ogun Community Counters Abiodun, Says Residents Fled To Benin Republic

The group emphasised that many farmers in Yewa North had fled their homes for Benin Republic, while also shunning the palliatives sent to them by Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Yewa and Imeko-Afon communities have confirmed that incessant attacks by Fulani herders had forced residents to flee to Benin Republic towns as refugees, refuting claims by the Ogun State Government that it is not true. 

The communities, speaking through the Yewa North Patriotic Forum, stated this while scolding the Ogun State Peace Keeping Committee on Farmers/Herders Conflict for saying the state had no refugees in Benin Republic. 

Image

SaharaReporters had on Monday reported that some of the residents moved to Pobe, a Benin Republic town, and were looking for houses to settle in until the unrest in their towns was over.  

It had been reported that despite assurances by the Ogun State Government, the security agencies such as the police and the army personnel in Yewa, Ipokia, and Imeko Afon were said to be biased in favour of Fulani herders, and residents lamented that their lives were not safe. 

But the chairman of the state committee, Kayode Oladele, had denied that some indigenes of the troubled Yewa North and Imeko-Afon were in Benin Republic as refugees.

Oladele had claimed that those who fled Yewa for Benin Republic were Egun and Hohori, saying they only returned to their home country during the conflict.

But, in a swift reaction, the Yewa North Patriotic Forum condemned the committee chairman for being economical with the truth.

The group emphasised that many farmers in Yewa North had fled their homes for Benin Republic, while also shunning the palliatives sent to them by Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Speaking with Daily Post on Monday, the Yewa Forum President, Omobolaji Sanni, expressed disappointment that, “the government through their satanic servant said there is no crisis in Yewa land that will necessitate that our people become refugees in another country.”

He said, “The truth is that many farmers in our axis have taken to their heels to take refuge in Benin Republic and they have also shunned the state government palliatives as their lives are more important to them than bags of rice and noodles.

“The government through their representative, Oladele, had gone overboard and the gods of Yewaland shall fight them to a standstill.

“Many times, we have noticed that many aides in this government are not true representatives, but agents of confusion to the governor. At different times, they feed the governor with lies, and on this, we shall repel this bazzuker of lies.

“Good for us as indigenes, we now know our enemies that live with us.

“This committee didn’t go to these people, instead they chose to lie, If a reversal of this naked lie is not written, we shall register Oladele’s name in our black book as youths in the Yewa North Local Government Area.

“Being broke after serving in the House of Representatives is not a resalable excuse to hobnob with the state governor at the expense of your people." 

Like Oyo and Ondo states, Ogun State has been at the receiving end of violent attacks by herdsmen in recent weeks, leading to a crisis in the communities and ethnic clashes between the indigenes and the herders. 

Topics
Insecurity