Residents of Igangan in the Ibarapa North-West Local Council Development Area of Oyo State have vowed never to allow the now-ejected Seriki Fulani, Abdulkadri Saliu, to return to the community.
According to them, accepting the Seriki Fulani back in the town was tantamount to self-suicide, adding that they would rather die than to accept Saliu back in the town.
“The entire town would rather go into self-suicide than to accept Seriki back. We would rather lay down our lives than for us and our generations to come to be subjected to the evil reign of Seriki again,” the Convener, Igangan Development Advocates, Oladiran Oladokun, told The PUNCH on Friday.
Oladokun was reacting to a statement made by the Seriki Fulani that he would consider moving back to Igangan.
“If given the opportunity to return to the community I would consider moving back to Igangan,” Saliu, whose family members have settled temporarily in Ilorin, Kwara State, had said on Thursday.
Recall that the popular Yoruba rights activist, Sunday Adeyemo, well known as Sunday Igboho, had asked herdsmen accused of perpetrating sundry crimes in Ibarapaland to leave within seven days.
At the expiration of the ultimatum, Igangan residents, emboldened by Igboho’s presence had ejected the Seriki Fulani and his herders out of the rustic town.
Speaking on Friday, Oladokun said the residents of the town have been exhaling breathe of fresh air and relief since the eviction of Saliu and his men.
He said farmers now have renewed hope of returning to their farms to continue agricultural activities without fear of being raped, kidnapped and killed.
The IDA leader said the people of the community would not want any order that would truncate the momentary peace and tranquillity that they have started enjoying.
“Our people will not allow that reign, that enslavement to come back now that they have tasted freedom a little.
