Fresh violence has rocked Orelope Local Government Area in the Oke-Ogun axis of Oyo State, following an early-morning attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen that left three farmers dead.
The victims, Aderoju Mukaila, Olawuwo Saka, and Ojeniyi Ojebayo, were reportedly attacked on Monday after confronting herders who were grazing cattle on their farmlands. The confrontation allegedly escalated when the farmers resisted the destruction of their crops, leading to a violent assault in which they were hacked.
According to a report by Vanguard, the injured farmers were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment but later succumbed to their injuries despite medical efforts.
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The Oke-Ogun axis is notably the hometown of prominent Yoruba nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho. Reacting to the incident, Igboho issued a strongly worded statement to journalists, calling on President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to urgently address the worsening insecurity in rural communities across Oyo State and the wider South-West region.
“This is exactly what I have been warning the government about for years,” Igboho said. “On Sunday, three innocent people were killed in my town, Igboho. Nothing has changed, and our people continue to suffer attacks while those responsible roam freely.”
He stressed that insecurity has become a daily reality for residents of Igboho and neighbouring communities, urging security agencies to do more to protect lives and property in the Oke-Ogun axis.
Igboho also expressed concern over what he described as the growing menace of criminal elements, including rogue Fulani herders, bandits, and hoodlums, who he said have infiltrated forests and rural settlements across the South-West, as well as parts of Kwara and Kogi states.
“It is now imperative for the Federal Government and security agencies to deploy effective measures to tackle insecurity, particularly the deadly activities of these criminals,” he said.
Lamenting the anguish of victims and their families, Igboho warned that continued inaction could provoke self-help measures by residents. “Those affected by killings and violent attacks are in despair because their patience has reached its elastic limit,” he noted.
He further called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible, insisting that perpetrators of attacks on farmers and local residents must face the full weight of the law.
The statement concluded with a call for proactive security action, urging authorities to deploy actionable intelligence to prevent attacks and safeguard lives and property across vulnerable communities.
