The people of Igangan, a community in Ibarapa area of Oyo State, recounted on Wednesday their ordeal at the hands of violent Fulani attackers to Stefanos Foundation, an NGO from Jos, condoled with them and presented them with relief materials.

Avisit to the town showed that peace has returned to the community with farmers going to their farms amidst heavily armed local security men.

Security agents including police, Amotekun Corps and others were on ground.

Armed bandits had invaded Igangan community in the dead of the night on June 5, with eleven people, including some of the assailants, confirmed dead, Oyo Police spokesman Wale Osifeso had said in a statement.

Two men spotted during Stefanos Foundation’s visit to the town, Adefemi Adetunji and Kehinde Olukunle, recounted what happened on the day of the attack two months ago when they were maimed by the attackers.

Adefemi revealed that he lost his sense of hearing after he was struck on the head by an attacker’s dagger. He also described how he also lost his arm while trying to defend himself. He said only three of them were alive when the Fulani men attacked their house. He said the third person’s leg was cut.

Speaking, the Vice Chairman of Igangan LCDA, Hon Azeez Saminu, described how life has been for residents of the town since the attack.

“We select security men among ourselves to protect us after we waited in vain for the state government to fulfill their promise of providing us with local security men. Now, we are the hunters of ourselves. If not that our boys were brave and fortified, the Fulani men were ready to totally ruin our land. When they attacked us, they used their matching to create fear, destroyed our houses, burnt cars and other properties. And after their bullets refused to enter bodies of their victims, they started matcheting them and mutilating their bodies. Meaning everyone killed by Fulani matcheted to death after bullets refused to penetrate their bodies.

“Now, we have improved on our security architecture. If you come at night, you will see our volunteered vigilante men well fortified. Although, government brought here some security men like Mobile police but they left yesterday saying they have an operation in Dubai,” Saminu revealed.

Also speaking, the chairman of Igangan LCDA, Hon Okedeji Olusegun, revealed that the Fulani men in the community were more like a family before the new influx came and started terrorising the community.

“The Fulanis have been living with us even before we were born. And they were more or less like our family. But these ones that attacked us were new influx, who came into our community about 15 years ago and with time, they started constituting atrocities like harassing us on our farms, killing, raping our women and other atrocities. We appreciate you (Stefanos Foundation) and we will deliver your message to the king”, Okedeji revealed,” he said.

In his message, the programme coordinator of Stefanos Foundation, Engr Mark Lipdo, said the NGO was founded 20 years ago when unrests and attacks were rife in the North.

“The foundation is a Jos based NGO that’s out to bring succour to people who are suffering from effects of violence in their communities. Stefanos work in communities that have been attacked. In the North, we heard these Fulanis attacked communities who are not Muslims but when we heard about this similar violence in the Southern Nigeria, we learnt situation here is different. We found out that Igangan is a mixture of Christians and Muslims who are living together peacefully. We understand that this community was attacked because they are different ethnic group. We have so far found out that Fulanis are presenting themselves as warlords. And it is not going to be good for Fulani if they continue presenting themselves that way,” he said.

Lipdo appealed to Fulani leaders to allow peace to reign in all Nigerian communities.

(Daily Sun)

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