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Tension as farmers’ group declares war on herdsmen, kingpin allegedly terrorizing Oyo communities

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There is tension in some parts of Oyo State as the Agbekoya Farmers’ Association on Sunday said that marauding herdsmen have launched guerrilla warfare on Yorubaland.

The group, which vowed to flush out the culpable herdsmen terrorizing the South-West, also said that it has begun a manhunt for killer herdsmen’s kingpin, known as Mahmoud Waziri, and his men, who terrorise farmers and residents in Ibarapa local government area of Oyo State.

In a statement on Sunday by the National Publicity Secretary of the group, Chief Olatunji Bandele, the President-General of the association, Chief Kamorudeen Okikiola, was qouted as stating that after the exit of Seriki Fulani from Igangan, another kingpin, Mahmoud Waziri, emerged in the town with his men, unleashing terror on innocent citizens and killing farmers in the area.

Read also: OYO HERDSMEN CRISIS: Seriki Fulani counts losses, claims 12 cars, houses burnt, seven kinsmen killed

According to Okikiola, two farmers, who were working on their farms, were killed in two locations in the area during an ambush laid on them by the killer herdsmen, while some escaped to the town to alert the people of the community.

The statement read: “The Kingpin, Mahmoud, regrouped the killer herdsmen and bandits, armed them with dangerous weapons to retaliate the exit of Seriki Fulani from Igangan who is now living in a village in Kwara State.

“Though the kingpin is now on the run, his killer herdsmen are perpetrating havoc, killing farmers and innocent citizens in Ibarapa area of Oyo State. Agbekoya will not relent until all these Fulani criminals terrorizing Yoruba land are flushed out.”

Agbekoya also called on farmers in the South-West to avoid going to their farms alone. The group advised that they should make sure that they go to their farms in groups ready to counter any sudden attack by the Fulani bandits and killer herdsmen.

The statement reads further: “The killer herdsmen have launched guerrilla warfare on Yoruba land and we should be alert and be very strategic in dislodging them wherever they are located in the South-West. We are using this medium to call on other security stakeholders, traditional rulers, Southwest governors, politicians and Yoruba leaders to rise to face the insecurity situation in the region. We are also calling on the Northern governors and leaders to take positive steps in calling the killer herdsmen and Fulani bandits terrorizing Southwest to order because if the situation persists, Agbekoya will not hesitate to launch a full-scale war against herdsmen, kidnappers and bandits.”

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