From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
Gunmen on Friday evening stormed Igangan, one of the seven principal towns in Ibarapa area of Oyo State, wreaking monumental havoc.
Staccato of gunfires reported rented the atmosphere and the residents of the community ran Helter skelter, as they made distress calls to local vigilante in other towns in the zone.
As gathered, the gunmen, numbering about 100, suspected to be Fulani, arrived the community around 7pm on Friday and attacked some areas. The gunmen reportedly disguised by putting on uniforms like men of the Nigeria Customs Service.
The Chief Hunters (Oluode) of Ibarapaland, comprising Eruwa, Lanlate, Igboora, Idere, Ayete, Tapa and Igangan, Alhaji Bilau Dare Kongo, as well as the convener, Igangan Development Advocate, Oladiran Oladokun, confirmed the attack.
According to Kongo as 9:00p.m., when he spoke to this reporter, “I have received distress calls and we have mobilised hunters from Eruwa and Igboora to move to Igangan and help our people. I am also on my way. I cannot give you details of what is happening in Igangan right now. We will talk later.
When he was contacted at 8:53p.m,  he said: “The herdsmen had attacked Igangan, Tapa and Ayete.  In fact, the whole of Ibarapa is in commotion. The gunmen were in three vehicles. They were shooting into the communities and people from the moving vehicles.
“They shot two hunters in Ayete and we remove the bullets from them traditionally. But they killed people in Igangan and I cannot tell you the exact numbers now. They also shot at soldiers, as they were moving in the three vehicles that they brought.”
In the same vein, Oladiran stated that he had also been informed about the incident, saying he would get back to this reporter.
The Police Public Relations Officer for the state, Adewale Osifeso, could not be reached on his mobile phone at the time of filing this report, as he did not pick calls made to his line.
Gunmen, suspected to be criminal herdsmen, had in the night of June 5 to June 6, 2021 stormed the same Igangan community. The Oyo State Police Command confirmed 12 persons dead after the attack. The palace of Ashigangan of Igangan, Oba Lasisi Adeoye, a petrol station and some other property, including cars were also razed during the attack.
Governor Makinde, who visited Igangan after the last month’s nocturnal killings, promised that would be the last time, such a thing would happen in Ibarapa.