Published April 30,2024
The residents of Alapo road,Adifagboola Area,Idi-ori ,Ile- ise Awo in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State, Nigeria, would forever lived in perpetual fear going by what happened in the community in November,2023.
A sight of men herding cows will forever bring panic as they have bloody, gripping and gory experiences in the hands of the cows herders.
It was on record that 2022/23, during the administration of Former President Muhammadu Buhari, security situations were tensed everywhere and Abeokuta, Ogun State capital was not left out from various crimes of killings and kidnapings for ransom.
It was in the heat of these insecurity that Agitation for Yoruba Nation was also intensed.
In many communities , residents who were members of Odua People Congress, OPC, Yoruba Nation and others, formed Local Vigilante groups in their communities to prevent and secure theirs areas.
The people of Idi-Ori were not left out in this security initiatives aimed at protecting lives and property from herdsmen invasions because the area was a fast developing area and near to flowing streams that herders normally took their cows for grazing and to drink water.
During this period, Mr. Yaya Adeola, now late, was a frontline member of Yoruba Nation and being a brave and bold person spearheaded the cause to drive and banish cows herding from the community. He was joined by others landlords and residents in the area.
Through many altercations, confrontations and fights the community succeeded in driving away the herders.
But, the turbulences faced by the leader of Yoruba Nation, Sunday Adeyemo a.k.a Sunday Igboho, which saw him escaped midnight invasion of his residence in Ibadan, Oyo State capital by State Security agents and subsequent detention in Cotonou, Benin Republic by agents of government, perhaps gave Fulani herders in Idi-Ori area to regroup and attack the community in retaliation of their belief that they were haunted, hunted and hoarded out of where they were grazing their cows.
During this attack,Yaya Adeola was killed as it was said that he was one of their targets since they recognized him as the leader of the Local Vigilante group that drove them out of the community.
A farmer and one of the landlords in the community, Mr Habeeb Oluwaseyi Solomon also owned cows which he gave to a young Fulani man knowns as Abudllahi for rearing. Mr.Solomon was a close knit friend to Late YaYa Adeola, because of the closeness, he borne all the expenses of the burial of Late Adeola.
Unknown to The Habeeb Oluwaseyi Solomon's household, all his efforts and contributions to the burial of Late Adeola was seen by the herdsmen as that of the sponsor of the Local Vigilante groups that drove them away from the fertile and water area they had been grazing their cows.
To many ,Mr.Habeeb Oluwaseyi Solomon was presumed to be one of the agitators for Yoruba Nation.
It was the young Fulani boy, Abdullahi, who out of love for Mr.Habeeb Oluwaseyi Solomon who hinted him that his life and that of his wife and children might be in danger as the regroup herdsmen during their nocturnal meetings have vowed to wipe out the Solomons. Abdullahi who was privy to all the plans hinted Mr. Habeeb Oluwaseyi Solomon .
During this period as well, Mr.Habeeb Oluwaseyi Solomon was pursuing visa to travel out which by stroke of providence he was granted.
Few weeks after his travelling, in November, 2023, the Fulani herdsmen again attacked with matchetes ,daggers, arrows and Ak -47 rifles, many residences in the community and left blood, agonies and injuries in the trail of the attacks.
Many were maimed, wounded and hospitalized.
One of Mr Habeeb Oluwaseyi Solomon's area brother,who also often visited the Farm, Mr. Sunday was killed during the herdsmen attack on the Mr.Habeeb Oluwaseyi Solomon's House.
It was the divine grace of God that saw to how Mrs Habeeb Ayoola Olayinka and her three Children, Thomas Wonuola Convenant, Habeeb Maxwell Moriregba(4years old) and Habeeb Ivan Mojolaoluwa (8months old) escaped death in the hands of the assailants.
Mrs Habeeb Ayoola Olayinka narrated how the seemingly kindness of his husband to fellow close knit brother was being used to wipe out the family.
Her words; "My husband, Habeeb Oluwaseyi Solomon who now lives in outmost fear and lost of concentration over there because of the threat messages he has been receiving and the attacks on us here. He was never a Yoruba Nation agitator but late YaYa Adeola was very close to the family, hence he stood in terms of moral and financial support for a befitting burial of Late YaYa Adeola
'He was fortune to secure visa to travel at that time.
"We live in utmost fear and agonies here . The incidents of the herders attack and the killing of Sunday in our house were reported at the Adatan Police Station the following day of the attack and investigation was instituted. ( Showed copies of Police report and sworn affidavit) and that attack and the horrific, heartless manner in which Sunday was murdered have been a recurring nightmares for me and my three children and this prompted my relocation to Sagamu,
But Wonuola was left behind because her Visa Application was delayed and the threats were unbearable.
"The assailants were even sending threat voice notes and messages to my husband that he cannot escape from them, that their people in Benin Republic would find him at all cost, they thought it was Cotonou that he ran to.
' But, since December 2023, the array of Cult clashes and killings in Sagamu town had also instilled more fears into me and I always feel insecure and unsafe with my children .
" Here, that i am in Sagamu, I am always afraid of my shadow and it has always been like a nightmare remembering how the assailants attacked our house and killed Mr. Sunday ,who has been an area brother to us" She stated.
" My husband's farming business here in that our previous residence had been ruined and in comatose because one of the attack and subsequent murder. All of the workers left in awe of the incident, threat to the family of the business owner. My husband too is not in the right frame of mind going by our conversations . Yet, threats note are also sent to his line over there. He has been receiving threat calls right from Nigeria.
" No money for my husband to sustain us "How will a person without right frame of mind be able to work properly and be able to pay bills and cater for his dependants ? I am afraid. I fear for my life and that of my little Children Her mien showed sorrowfully as she concluded the narration.
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