Gbenga alleged that the Fulanis who assaulted him with a machete, had taken over their ancestral land and claimed ownership, adding that they prevented him from farming on the land that belonged to his family.
A 46-year-old farmer, Owolarefe Gbenga, has been allegedly attacked by Fulani herdsmen at Owode-Oko-Gbo in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State.
It was learnt that the incident happened on Monday, March 18, 2024, around 10pm.
Gbenga alleged that the Fulanis who assaulted him with a machete, had taken over their ancestral land and claimed ownership, adding that they prevented him from farming on the land that belonged to his family.
He however, pleaded with the Kwara State government and the Nigerian police to intervene in the matter and conduct a thorough investigation into how the Fulani herdsmen, who are not indigenous to Owode-Oko-Gbo, used violence to take over their ancestral land.
He said; "Many of them were out of town, so one of their family members, Issa Muhammed, who resided at home, temporarily offered them their family land for the Fulani to raise their cows for grazing when they sought his assistance.
"My father, Elder Mathew Aremu Owolarafe, was the Baale of the town, and when the Fulani arrived, they settled in our town without our knowledge. It was Mr. Issa Muhammed who provided a place for them to settle down.
"He besieged and took over their ancestral land since no one was at home to challenge them. However, he returned home to settle down after the 2019 elections.
"To my great surprise, the Fulani herdsmen had taken over their ancestral land and claimed ownership. He mentioned that they prevented him from farming on the land that belonged to his family. however, Mr. Issa, who had previously rendered them assistance, passed away last year.
"Before his death, he clearly stated to the Fulani herdsmen that he had never accepted any money from them. He informed them that when the rightful landowners returned to reclaim their land, they would have no choice but to vacate it, and they all agreed.
"When the famine started, my brothers called me and expressed their desire to start farming, given that I reside at home. Consequently, I enlisted the help of some local labourers to clear the bush. However, while they were in the process of clearing the bush, the Fulani residents of our community intervened and instructed them to leave immediately."
Gbenga explained that the following day, he went to the land with three labourers to continue the work. He said he saw the same Fulani herdsmen regrouping while parading the place, but he kept working since they did not move closer to him.
"I sent my wife home to fetch something for me. She informed me that upon arriving home, she encountered some Fulani herdsmen with my dad, engaged in a discussion about a piece of land. He told them he would get back to them."
"When I got home, my dad narrated to me what the Fulani herdsmen had come to explain. He told my dad that they instructed him to demand any amount and to vacate the land he planned to farm on, as they also intended to use it for farming.
"On Monday, March 18, 2024, it was around 10 p.m. when I heard a dog barking and went out to see what had happened. Suddenly, I saw four people coming toward my side, and one of them greeted me.
"I was already late and time to listen to the news at 10 p.m. when the four Fulani herdsmen in my community came to my house for a meeting. I told them that it was late and they should come the following day at daybreak.
"I identified the ringleader as Umara, while the other three are Momoh, Baba Shege, and Baba Magaji.
"I was fasting on that particular day. They insisted on having a meeting with me, but I declined and told them that I had never seen people gather at night to discuss land matters.
"After a while, I thought they had left because I had left them outside to power my generator so I could listen to the news, and closed the entrance door. We were inside the house when I heard a goat mourning.
"As I stepped out to see what was happening, I saw their ringleader, whom I called Umaru. As I called his name and he answered, I told him to leave and come back tomorrow. It was around 11 pm as I turned to enter the house, but before I knew it, he moved closer to me and macheted me on my neck.
"They have disfigured me right now, I cannot speak very well like before. I was not born like this. I spent over a million, and I even sold some of my properties in order to get well," he added.
He, however, called on the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazak, as a matter of urgency to investigate the land dispute because it could lead to a tribal war if not addressed. He emphasised that justice needed to prevail.
The Kwara State Police Command, DSP Ejire-Adeyemi Toun, confirmed the incident to SaharaReporters on Saturday, stating that a suspect had been arrested.
"Yes, the command is aware of the incident, a suspect has been arrested and charged to court," she said.