Amotekun, hunters dislodge herdsmen from Oyo forests

The Oyo State Security Network Agency, also known as Amotekun, in partnership with some hunters, has dislodged herdsmen from the Opara Forest Reserve and the Oyo State Agricultural Development Programme Forest.

This was disclosed in a statement on Saturday by the Chairman of Amotekun Corps, Gen. Kunle Togun (retd).

In the statement signed by the Information Officer of Amotekun in Oyo State, Mrs Ayolola Adedoja, Togun said the herdsmen, who stormed the state, claimed they were invited by some traditional rulers.

Togun, who commended the hunters’ group led by one Prophet Ojuawo for their assistance, solicited for more support from people of the state to make the corps more effective.

According to him, the security outfit was open to criticism, noting that such criticism should not be to discourage the corps from its duty of protecting lives and property in the state.

He said: “On December 24, some herdsmen were seen at the Opara Forest Reserve in the Oke Ogun area of Oyo State. The attention of the chairman of the Amotekun corps was called to it and the Amotekun corps swung into action.

Read also: Amotekun takes off in Ogun January, residents to get identification cards

“They were able to flush the herdsmen out of the forest reserve around 2am. The Amotekun corps, with the assistance of one Prophet Ojoawo, who is the head of the hunters in the state, with 40 hunters drove the herdsmen out of the forest reserve and they were escorted out of Saki West to the Orelope Local Government Area of Oyo State.

“The herdsmen were handed over to the Amotekun corps members at Orelope who also led them out of their territory and handed them to their members at Olorunsogo in Igbeti area. The Amotekun corps at Igbeti made sure they were escorted out of the Oyo State boundary.”

Togun noted that the herdsmen were interrogated and said one baale from the axis invited them to the state and were able to produce a letter of invitation by the village head.

He said further: “Also, another set of the herdsmen were sighted at OYSADEP Forest Reserves. They too produced evidence of invitation by one of the Oyo Obas and they too were also driven out of the forest and out of the state boundary.”

Togun, while admitting that the expectation of the public about Amotekun was high, pleaded for patience as the results of the security outfit would not be sudden.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now