Angry youths stormed the Oyo State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan on Monday to seek an end to incessant killings by criminal hersdmen in Ibarapaland, Oke Ogun and other parts of the state.
The protesters also asked the governor of the state, Seyi Makinde to intervene and secure the release of some members of the Odua Peoples Congress remanded in prison on the order of the court.
The three OPC members were among the group that captured the dreaded Fulani herder in Ibarapaland, Iskilu Wakili. They were later charged with murder and arson, and remanded in prison.
The farmers said the security situation in Ibarapa area is preventing them from farming.
The protesters, mainly from Ibarapa land, stormed the Secretariat where the Governor’s Office is located around 10:40 am to register their displeasure with the security issue in the area.
They displayed placards with various inscriptions denouncing killing by Fulani herdsmen, kidnapping, rape, destruction of farms and other atrocities.
The leader of the group, Mr Oladiran Oladokun, who is also the Converner of Igangan Development Advocates told reporters that remanding the three OPC members in prison was not a good sign.
He noted that Wakili terrorised the people of the area for so long and that the OPC members were courageous to have arrested him after the police had refused to do so.
Oladokun said, “We are here to protest against the arrest and detention of the three OPC members. These men are heroes, they risked their lives to arrest Wakili who had terrorised the people of Kajola, Ayete and other villages for so long.
“They went to Wakili’s place and arrested him but the police turned against them and detained them. This sends a bad signal to Nigerians on security issues.”
