Herdsmen Crisis: Makinde Meets Protesting Youths As Gov Visits Igangan For First Time

Some youths in Igangan in the Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State on Monday staged a peaceful protest to welcome Governor Seyi Makinde who was visiting the community for the first time since violent clashes broke out between Yoruba residents and Fulani herdsmen.

The people of Ibarapaland, especially Igangan, which is the epicentre of herdsmen crisis, have flayed the governor for not coming to the area until now.

The youths, who carried placards with various inscriptions filed by the roadside as Makinde was driven into the town.

Some youths also carried a big banner bearing the portrait of Dr Fatai Aborode, who was allegedly killed by some Fulani in December 2020.

The youths are protesting the incessant killings, violent rapes and maiming of farmers and other indigenes by criminals suspected to be herdsmen in the town and other parts of Ibarapa.

The alleged atrocities of the herdsmen had continued for long and the January 15 seven day ultimatum given to the Seriki Fulani in Igangan by Chief Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho and the torching of the Seriki’s property by some youths drew the attention of the nation to the plight of the people.

Although some aides of the governor had visited the town, the governor’s visit this time is the first time he is visiting the epicentre of the crisis since it started.

Makinde, while addressing the people, said he decided to come and see things for himself.

He said, ” Those of us who are in government shouldn’t sleep
if my people in Ibarapa cannot sleep with their two eyes closed.”

While speaking in Igboora on Sunday night, Makinde said the state was at the mercy of the federal security agents to enforce the anti-open grazing law enacted in the state.

He said, “Quite frankly, the governors are at the mercy of federal security agencies to implement certain laws.

“That was why we asked for state police. In the first instance, it is a constitutional issue and, in the absence of having that, governors in the South West came together and formed Amotekun as a stop gap.

“Problems don’t go away completely. But you have to keep working at them, keep pushing to get to where you really want to be and that is what we will keep doing.

“But the law is there, though the implementation has not been smooth, we will keep working at it.”

The governor commiserated with the families that have lost loved ones to the insecurity situation, saying, he felt their pains.

He stated he had had very close interaction with Dr. Fatai Aborode in the past. He commiserated with his family and many others who have lost loved ones to the crisis.

Makinde charged political office holders from the area to always speak out anytime they discovered that things were not going the ways they ought to in the area.

He said, “The take-home from the interaction for me is that it is a collective problem and I can see the commitment from everybody to find a solution to this.

“And, at least, I am quite glad that some of the initiatives that the government is trying to put in place to stem insecurity are coming to fruition.

“We will ensure that our identity management programme takes off as quickly as possible. We will also ensure the setting up of peace and security committee that is all-encompassing in the councils.”