***We Need Urgent Intervention to Checkmate Mindless Killing – Ose LG Chair
By Sola Obagbemisoye
No fewer than six farmers, traders & passengers have been gruesomely murdered by some suspected Fulanis in the last two weeks at Arimogija and Molege axis of Ose Local Government Area of Ondo state.
Narrating the ordeal, a community leader, Mr. Owolafe Folorunsho said the recent attack was triggered by farmer’s efforts to repel the continued wanton destruction of their crops by the herdsmen.
According to him, “the herders have been invading our farmlands at night, harvest our crops to feed their Cows & in many occasions, they will come during the day, forced us to uproot the Cassava by ourselves at gunpoint, command us to cut them into pieces to feed their cows”.
“In order not to take laws into our hands, we reported this act of economic sabotage to the appropriate authority who took prompt action to chase them out of the farming areas only for the Fulanis to come back & attacked us with AK-47, Pump Action, Axes & Cutlasses and killed our people at night”.
What is more worrisome now is that, the terrorists have resulted to laying ambush to attack some unsuspecting traders coming in & out of the area, disposses them of their belongings before killing them & set the car ablaze.
Confirming the incidence, the Onimoru of Imoru, Oba Oluwarotimi Obamuwagun lamented the atrocities of the Fulanis in the area.
Expressing his discomfort about the criminal activities of the suspected herdsmen in his domain, the first class monarch narrated how the Fulanis completely destroyed over four hectres of Cassava farm belonging to one of his subject who borrowed money high interest rate from a commercial bank to finance farm. This was corroborated by the Odibiado of Ijagba, Oba Andrew Ikioya Ilevare added that the bandits have now resulted to harvesting plantains and bring them to market to sell.
The royal fathers who queried why should federal government allow herdsmen to go about with AK-47 rifles to terrorize innocent people praised the Governor of Ondo state, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN for the establishment of the Southwest Security Network popularly known as Amotekun to checkmate the excesses of the herders especially in the area.
Visiting the deserted villages to commensurate & identify with the families of the victims, the Executive Chairman of the local government, Hon. Adekunle Dennis said the Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu SAN (CON) is deeply worried & concerned over the lattest security situation in Ose saying, something will be done urgently to checkmate the excesses of the herdsmen.
As he puts it, “the council is meeting with the relevant authorities & stakeholders with the aim of redesigning the security architecture of all the flashpoints to nip the security challenges in the bud”.
While calling on the residents especially youths to be more vigillant, the council boss charged them to improve on intelligence gathering that will enable them gather correct & useful information that will assist security agents to smoke out the criminals from their caves as government cannot do it all alone.
He equally advised them to thoroughly profile & search themselves with a view to fishing out informants who may be living among them.
While commending the security agencies especially the Army, the Police, DSS and Amotekun Corps for a job well done, Princess Adekunle said their timely intervention & prompt actions prevented the terrorists from whipping the people of Arimogija from the surface of the earth.
He concluded by charging the gallant officers to intensify efforts to recover the four camps, Molege, Ugboruwen, Elerinta & Adedigba from the terrorists.
As at the time of filling this report, many houses, cars & motorcycles have been burnt by the bandits during the attack while two army officers who sustain injuries during the exchange fire have been rushed to the hospital.