The Seriki Fulani, Ogbomosoland, Umar Yaro Babuga, has said that incompetent Serikin Fulani in communities where clashes are occurring should vacate their positions and allow capable hands to take over.
Babuga spoke in relation to the protest by scores of farmers, mostly women, which was held on Thursday where the perceived atrocities of Fulani herdsmen, especially of Bororo stock in their communities, were disclosed.
The atrocities included the destruction of farm crops usually eaten by cows deliberately taken to farmlands, and killing, maiming and raping of women on the farm.
The protesters went to the palace of Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III, to seek his intervention.
They were said to have come from three villages in Oriire Local Government Area, including Kedo Arigbeyo, Kedo Salami and Mosunmaje, with the head of Kedo Arigbeyo, Chief Aremu Ogundare, as their spokesperson on the protest ground.
According to reports, the protesters described cows as a menace, saying: “We don’t enjoy farming any longer. All the cassava plants we cultivated were destroyed by them. No one has any cassava on the farm again.
“We are tired of the atrocities of these Bororo herdsmen. They destroy our farms, kill our people, machete us, slash off our hands and act as if we are their slaves. They even rape women on the farm. Now, we can’t go to our farms again and we are hungry.”
Responding to questions posed to him by Sunday Tribune, Babuga said: “It is true that cows used to feed on crops on farms, but about the issue of rape, it can only be believed if there are proofs. We don’t have cases of rape.”
He continued: “The problem is that there are some people who feel that they had been existing there for a long time. In Oriire, there is Ikoyi Ile which is an old kingdom.
“When my father, who was the Seriki of Ogbomosoland, was alive, he tried his best to ensure peace between farmers and Fulanis, to the point that our people believed that he was supporting the farmers against herders.
Then, they had a meeting and decided that they should no longer go to my father. They engaged in hatred, backbiting and name calling till my father died.
“After his death, I succeeded him through the consent and approval of late Soun, others said that they had been made Seriki by the Onikoyi of Ikoyi Ile. Even the Yorubas there would tell the Fulani what they wanted, because of the relationship between Ogbomoso and Ikoyi Ile.
“They would also tell me that I could not come there to tell them what they should do with their land, so I told everyone to take care of their territories.
“Within Ogbomoso, I do whatever I’m supposed to do, so the Seriki in other communities and settlements should know how to manage their people.”
Babuga advised fellow Serikis at the places where the problems were happening to speak out if they were not competent to handle the cases.
He stated: “Those who gave them titles should call them to order or the law enforcement agents do the needful.
“I have tried my best, and the Yorubas were impressed with all I said in their defence the day we had a joint meeting.
“We can’t expect a farmer to obtain, for example, a loan of N1 million to plant crops and be happy when they are eaten up by cows. And the compensation paid would be just about N50,000. How can we compare that with what was destroyed?
“When the farmers put poison on their plants and it kills cows, Fulani would take them to police station and demand N1million over an animal not worth more than N200,000. Because of such an occurrence, so many farmers had been detained.
“I said all these at the meeting and the farmers were very impressed. However, our people said that I was an educated Fulani who just got a title and was trying to cause friction between them and the Yorubas.”
On the issue of protest by farmers in Oriire communities, Babuga said: “If we want it resolved, we have to come together with their Serikis, traditional rulers and leaders, as well as all security agencies.
“Those who destroyed the farms are known by the farmers. The Seriki should speak out if he cannot handle his territory and hand it over to capable hands. He should mention those troubling so that they can be sent away.”
Appreciating Soun of Ogbomoso for his fatherly role to all since he ascended the throne, Babuga appealed to him for help, urging him to intervene in the matter so that it would not escalate.
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