Tension is simmering in Ogbomoso South local government area of Oyo State, where leaders and residents of eight communities have given a two-day ultimatum to a group of Fulani herdsmen to leave their land. The decision, taken at a tense meeting on Monday, comes after a string of kidnappings and growing unease over the presence of unfamiliar faces in their midst.
The communities, clustered around the Samaday area, include Ibapon Are Oluwamodupe, Ayedire, Mercy Land, Estate, Irewolede, Ona Igbala, Ifesowapo and Grace Land. Their patience, they say, has run out.
The ultimatum was not issued lightly. It follows the abduction of 39 students and seven teachers in nearby Oriire local government area, as well as reported kidnappings in Oloka village. For the residents, the writing is on the wall, and they are determined not to wait for tragedy to strike their own homes.
Speaking on behalf of the communities, Baale Ibapon, Ashifat Akanji, delivered the message with unmistakable clarity: the herders must vacate within 48 hours. The declaration was made in the name of the community leaders, the Seriki Fulani of Ibapon, Alhaji Idowu, and the Ogbomoso Parapo, a prominent local organisation.
Akanji made a point of distinguishing between the settled Fulani families who have lived among them for years and the newcomers. “We don’t know them,” she said. “We have Fulanis who have been living with us here, whose head is Idowu, whom we issued ID cards. But these ones, we are unfamiliar with them.” She added that a recent security meeting with the Commissioner of Police had driven home the need for vigilance. “We don’t cause trouble and we abide by the law, but we won’t wait till evil befall us before we take action.”
The grievances against the herders go beyond fear of crime. Chairman of the eight communities, Mr Alagbe Oyebamiji, painted a picture of daily disruption. Their cattle, he said, trample farms, damage septic tanks, and leave droppings on the roads, creating hazards and spreading stench. “We had to report to law enforcement agents who drove them away, but they returned,” he explained, adding that the decision to involve the Ogbomoso Parapo was a last resort.
Prince Aderemi Olude, chairman of the Ogbomoso Parapo, shed light on the confusion that preceded the ultimatum. The herders initially claimed they had permission from Baale Ibapon to settle there, a claim the royal father denied. They then pointed to Seriki Fulani Idowu, who also denied giving any such approval. With no one owning up to inviting the strangers, the community decided to act.
“After the meeting, we gave them 48 hours to vacate the place, after which we would take step according to the law,” Olude said. “That is what security agencies have been preaching, to speak out when we see something strange that could pose a security challenge.”
The next 48 hours will determine whether the herders comply or whether the communities make good on their promise to involve the authorities. For now, the message from Ogbomoso South is clear: strangers who bring risk will not be allowed to stay.
