Oyo Farmers Returning to Villages Seized by Fulani Man- Monarch
THE Deputy Chairman of Oyo State Council of Obas , Oba Francis Alao , who is also the Olugbon of Orile Igbon , said peace had returned to Kajola and other villages taken over by a Fulani man , Iskiku Wakil .
The Asawo of Ayete , Oba Emmanuel Okeniyi, and farmers in the villages had earlier raised the alarm that Wakil and his armed kinsmen pursued farmers out of the villages and destroyed their cocoa and cashew trees .
Olugbo said in an interview with our Punch correspondent on Thursday that the Assistant Commissioner of Police in Oyo State in charge of operations called and told him that peace had been restored to the place.
The monarch said the police officer told him that Wakil , who was accused of pursuing farmers from their farms and destroying their economic trees , had fled the area .
Oba Alao said , “ I spoke with the Commissioner of Police yesterday ( Wednesday ) and she asked the AC Operations to call me . He called me and told me that peace had returned to those villages .
“ He said the ACP got through to the DPO in charge of Ayete . He said the DPO told him that the situation was now under control and that the same man (Wakil ) had ran away. That is what he told me. ”
One of the farmers in Kajola , Peter David , when contacted, corroborated the police claims .
He told our correspondent that farmers had started going back to their farms .
He said , “It is true that male farmers have started going back to their farms . They started today but the man ( is still there) , he has not gone .
“ I passed through that side on a motorcycle not long ago . Their wives and cattle that they took away during the crisis had been brought back .
“ Farmers have started going back to farm but they can ’ t sleep there because they don’t know what may happen overnight . The women have not started returning and I believe everybody wants to be sure that peace is back fully before they will start sleeping in the villages . ”