Youths and residents of Ayede-Ogbese in Akure North local government area staged a peaceful protest on Friday to voice their discontent over the frequent attacks and kidnapping of several people by suspected foreign fulani herdsmen in their area.
After submitting a number of petitions over the years to alert the authorities to their situation, the youth came out in large numbers on the Akure-Owo expressway to demand immediate action from government and security services.
The protest was triggered by the recent abduction of three people in the community.
High Chief Femi Fajembimo, the Lisa of Ayede Ogbese, bemoaned the excessive security breaches caused by some Fulani herders in the town who are primarily from Chad and the Republic of Niger.
He said: “We have been under attack for over three years. Fulani groups, apparently from Chad and Niger, have set up structures in the territory to take over vast areas of farmland by force.
“The leaders of this Fulani group have taken up residence in neighbourhoods within Ayede Ogbese Kingdom whilst keeping their armed foot soldiers in the forests with their cattle.
“These armed Fulani terrorists, pretending to be cattle herders, are armed with Ak-47 rifles and other dangerous weapons with which they constantly attack anyone that ventures into the territory they have forcefully taken over.”
On her part, the Ondo State Police Command spokesperson, Funmi Odunlami, disclosed that sanity has been restored in the community following the deployment of a detachment of security operatives to the area.
The police spokesperson appealed to the youths to allow peace to reign while assuring that security agencies have commenced thorough search in the area to secure the release of the kidnapped victims.
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