ALLEGED ATTACK ON SOUTH-WEST: Yorubas Expressed Readiness

Following the alleged planned invasion of the six Yoruba states in the South-West by foreign herders, the Soludero Hunters Association on Thursday dared them to carry out attacks in the region and face the consequences.

Speaking through their leader, Oba Nureni Ajijola Anabi, the hunters, who are domiciled in Ogun, Osun, Ekiti, Oyo and Lagos states, declared that they were battle-ready for the herders.

Chairman of Amotekun Corps in Oyo State, General Ajibola Togun (retd) had, on Wednesday, raised the alarm about imminent invasion of the South-West by foreign herdsmen of Tuareg extraction. Togun, who spoke while delivering a lecture at the Institute of Peace, Conflict and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, cautioned residents in the region to be security conscious, charging them not to be caught off guard in case of any security breach.

However, Ajijola said hunters and other local security agents were up to the task and ready to checkmate the intruders, just as he implored Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State to provide logistics such as vehicles, equipment and motorcycles.

According to him, “we have been spending our money since we started monitoring our forests. There were times we were hindered due to lack of equipment; we are capable of checking these attackers if only the state government can empower us.

“We too are aware that these aliens are in our forests. We have heard about them but we have not seen them. We can go inside the forest where they are to smoke them out and send them back to their countries, but are we going to trek to the far distance where they are hiding? We are limited by equipment and funds.

“Even, the state police command can attest to the fact that we have arrested several suspects and handed them over to the police. Apart from herders, we have arrested these hoodlums disturbing people within Ibadan metropolis.”