One of the farmers from Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State on Friday has alleged that policemen at the checkpoint were watching while the said Fulani herdsmen living in the community attacked him and three others.
The farmer, Seun Isaiah, who was initially reported dead survived the assault with a wound to the head and released a video on Saturday through which he narrated his ordeal.
According to the Convener, Igangan Development Advocates, Oladiran Oladokun, who made the video available to our correspondent, the victim recounted his ordeal at the hospital when the Executive Assistant to Governor Seyi Makinde on Security, Sunday Odukoya, visited him (Isaiah) at the hospital where he was being treated.
The victim, whose head was heavily bandaged, said he and three others were returning home on the same motorcycle when the Fulani men accosted them and inflicted grave machete cuts on them.
He said he did not know the whereabouts of the others.
Isaiah said, “The four of us were on the same motorcycle; they just came out and waylaid us. We were not attacked inside the bush; we were attacked at Oju Alagolo. We would have turned back, but we saw some policemen there and that was why we felt there would not be any problem.”
Asked how he knew their assailants were Fulani, he said they were the town’s herdsmen.
“One of those Fulani who attacked us with a cutlass came out of his house. I know his house. They did not say we did anything. They ran after us and started inflicting cuts on us as we sped away. Two police vehicles were where we were attacked by the Fulani men, but they pretended as if they did not see what happened. The motorcycle is still where we were attacked,” he added.
Meanwhile, residents said a popular Yoruba activist, Sunday Igboho, had earlier visited the town and went to the Fulani settlement, where he gave them a seven-day notice to quit their alleged atrocities.
Crisis ensued during the visit and two huts were allegedly set ablaze.
However, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, said, “The popular Sunday Igboho from Igboho town stormed the Fulani camp at Igangan in four Hilux pickup vans and attacked the people and injured four persons.”