Unease as Lai Mohammed’s village serves Fulani herders with quit notice

 

The people of Oro land in the Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara State have reportedly issued a seven-day ultimatum to Fulani herders in Okerimi-Oro community to relocate to ensure security in the area.

Oro is the hometown of Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture. He was born into the family of Alhaji Mohammed Adekeye in 1952.

The community under the aegis of Oro Descendants Union, in a statement titled, ‘We reject unlawful occupation of land in our community by Bororo/Fulani,’ signed by the National President and National Publicity Secretary of the union, Alhaji Uthman Balogun, and Mr. Kayode Adeyipo, respectively, said that the herdsmen allegedly evicted from Oyo State, had occupied Okerimi-Oro community since the last week of January, 2021.

Thisday reports that the Oro people, who alleged that some traditional rulers in nearby communities connived with the herdsmen and purportedly signed an agreement to have them settled in their area, said the traditional rulers “discreetly brought the herdsmen to Okerimi-Oro land to settle”.

The 11 constituents of Oro kingdom are Okerimi-Oro, Ijomu-Oro, Aafin-Oro, Ido-Oro, Agbeola-Oro, Okeola-Oro, Iludun-Oro, Irebode-Oro, Oro, Sie and Olorunsogo.

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“The site where the Bororo/Fulani herdsmen are occupying now is part of Koshoni-Ola Farmland in Okerimi-Oro. Everyone became scared, nervous and agitated, demanding that they should be sent away from our locality because of their reported, evidence-based nefarious activities, which included kidnapping, maiming of innocent citizens, robberies and destruction of farmland. And to our knowledge, it is not the company that invited them.

“The signed document had the Aala of Ilala community and Baale of Buari community, the signatures of nine leaders of Bororo/Fulani, Seriki Fulani in Ajase-Ipo and Chairman of Miyetti Allah in Irepodun Local Government Area.

“The peace pact was witnessed by zonal heads of security agencies, including Nigeria Police Force, Department of State Security and Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC),” the group added.

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It noted that everything was without the knowledge of the people of Oro land, adding, “We are not party to it and we can’t be a party to any of such arrangements. Our people are vehemently against it, they had long kicked against it.”

Describing the act as disheartening and disgusting, the union said, “Can a house owner collect rent from anyone and direct the person to another man’s house to be received as tenant after signing tenancy agreement with him (i.e. the payer)? Buari and Ilala are not part of Oro.

“We now implore Buari and Ilala to come and relocate Bororo/Fulani to their own land, which must be far away from our vicinity. And this must be done on or before the expiration of seven (7) days counting from today, Tuesday, February 16, 2021.”