Unknown gunmen suspected to be Fulani Herdsmen, stormed Igangan town, Ibarapa North local government area of Oyo State, killed no fewer than 15 people.
Newsflash Nigeria gathered that the Fulani herdsmen invaded Igangan around 11pm on Saturday night, burning fuel stations, houses, shops and the palace of Oba Lasisi Adeoye, the monarch of the town.
A source in the community identified two of the people killed as Lekan and Ajani, saying they were farmers in the area.
A resident of Ayete who is close to the family of the deceased farmers, Olalekan Etu told Newsflash Nigeria that hunters were already on their way to track down the Fulani killers.
The area has been under the spotlight for more than five years with clashes erupting intermittently between farmers and herders, resulting in deaths and life-changing injuries.
In a recent development, two Fulani leaders in the town, Seriki Saliu and Iskilu Wakili were ejected from Ibarapa land by local security outfits after they were accused of conniving with kidnappers who abducted some of the indigenes of Ibarapa area for ransom. Some of the kidnapped victims were killed even after ransom was paid.
It was learnt that some suspected herdsmen on Saturday killed a resident of Igangan, identified as Captain Caston, which led a crisis in the area.
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“Yes, it is true, many were killed. I know two of them who were very close to me. They arrived at Igangan around 12am and killed. I am confirming it. Our hunter had gathered themselves to go into the bush now. We need the government and real Yoruba people to come to our rescue now.
“Ibarapa is boiling now. These people are for a real. They have an agenda. We need to do something now. I know 10 people already who were killed. We may have other people too but for now, I know 10 people are gone,” he said.
Another source said, “They came in around 11pm and operated till 3am. They came with weapons. The local hunters confronted them. We have been able to count 9 bodies. Two were Fulani attackers.
“The palace of the Oba of the town was razed, houses and a petrol station was torched.
“A guy that just buried his father was killed in the attack. Despite calling them, police and other security operatives have yet to come into the town.
“Residents are currently leaving the town for fear of another attack.”
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Abiodun Adegoke, a youth leader in Igangan, who spoke to Newsflash Nigeria early on Sunday, said gunmen suspected to be of Fulani origin invaded the town late on Saturday, burning fuel stations, houses, shops and the palace of Oba Lasisi Adeoye, the monarch of the town. He said the armed men operated till the early hours of Sunday.
”You need to come to Igangan now to see the destruction here and ruins off the town after the attack. Around 11 pm on Saturday, Fulanis in large number stormed our community and began to burn all petrol stations. They burned shops, houses and the palace of our king. They burnt several houses too,” he said
“They killed 10 people and injured many others. They used sophisticated weapons in the attack. But their activities were later repelled by men of the Oyo State Security Network Agency (codenamed Amotekun) and youths in the town. Four of the attackers were killed while others fled. As I speak to you, there are dead bodies in front of me.”
The police public relations officer in the state, Adewale Osifeso did not answer his call when our correspondent called him and did not reply the text message sent to him either.
