From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Three persons are confirmed dead and two others injured during a clash between operatives of Amotekun Corps and Bororo herdsmen in Aiyete in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Though sources say seven persons were killed, police spokesman Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, a Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP), said three persons were killed while two others were injured.
A resident of Aiyete, one of the seven towns in Ibarapa, reliably informed Sunday Sun that the increasing rate of kidnapping for ransom and killings in Ibarapaland made the Amotekun operatives in Aiyete to suspect a Bororo hersman that came into the town to buy 10 packs of cooked food on Saturday morning.
According to the source, who preferred anonymity: ‘One Bororo hersman came to Aiyete town this morning. He bought 10 packs of cooked food. This made the Amotekun operatives in the area to be suspicious of the Fulani hersman.
‘So, they followed him in order to know where he would take the food to. He boarded a taxi and the Amotekun operatives also boarded the cab with him. They discovered that he was actually taking the food into the bush and they followed him. While in the same cab with him, the Amotekun operatives discovered that he was in possession of a short gun.
‘They still wanted to get to the roots of the riddle they wanted to solve. When he alighted from the can, the Amotekun operatives also got down with him and followed him as he was going into the bush.
‘Suddenly, some herdsmen swooped on them. The Amotekun operatives, who were at alert also responded. They clashed heavily. The clash was at Okebi village. But I cannot say anything on the number of casualties on both side or if it is only one side that recorded casualties or not.
‘You must appreciate the fact that Ibarapaland has been under siege in the recent time. There have been repeated abduction of people, both young and old, for ransom. A lot of people have also been killed by gunmen in Ibarapaland within the past two months.’
A man that introduced himself as Saliu alleged that seven persons were killed and seven houses were also razed, adding that one Alhaji Usman Okebi and his two sons were purportedly killed.
‘We don’t know what caused the fight. Some persons were shot and injured. The number of people killed has increased to seven. Those who were shot and ran away later died in the bush,’ he stated.
The police spokesman said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Aiyete promptly moved to the community when information about the clash was reported to him.
‘When the DPO of Aiyete got wind of the incident, he moved in swiftly to ascertain the cause of the attack. In his report, three persons had died and two injured. He has since commenced investigation and further development will unfold soonest.’
