…Affected victims speak on their experience
Akinlabi Afolabi Ibadan
The Chairman of Iganna Local Government Development council, Hon Olayiwola Adeleke has recalled his ill experience as one of the victims of fulani kidnappers in the axis of Ibarapa as he was made to sleep on the floor for 6 days and 6 nights before a ransom of sum of N5.5m was paid for his freedom.
He made this known while speaking to Nigerian NewsDirect correspondent, Akinlabi Afolabi at his office in Iganna. He said this is the first time he is speaking to Journalist about his experience as he was abducted on his way to a Ibadan to attend an important meeting with the executive Governor of the state by the fulani kidnappers.
“It happened on October 25th, 2020 on Sunday around 4.30pm, I was traveling to Ibadan in preparation for the monthly meeting with Executive Governor of the state, Engr. Seyi Makinde, I decided to leave on Sunday so as to pass the night in Ibadan to avoid getting late and attend the meeting early.
“When we got to Gboga, on the way to Awaye, all of the sudden, we heard gunshots and before we could make way out of the vehicle, these people came out of the bush with guns and knives in their hands and commanded us to open the door and started slapping me and my driver, they beat us mercilessly, shooting guns to scare away people, they took us out of the car, walked us into the bush and that was how we were with them for 6days before the ransom was paid.
“They were eight in number, very young boys and they are fulanis, they spoke fulani language and one of them was speaking Yoruba language but not fluently as well as English but they were all fulanis. The experience I had with them was bitter. The night they took us in, they took us to a mountain and we stayed there for the night and on Monday morning they moved us again to the inner part of the bush and when we got there around 5pm, they asked us to lie down. Obviously, they have been using the place for kidnapping activities because it is a well prepared place for victims and around 7pm, I was given my phone to make calls and contact families, friends and they want to collect 200m, before that time, they already collected our phones, iD card, my bag where I kept some documents with some money I intend to use to pay school fees for one of my children in Ibadan, they ransacked the bag. We laid down all through as they didn’t allow us to sit down. After making calls, they collected the phone back and started beating me and my driver again.
“They told me they know my identity and they have gotten information from my area and they have been monitoring me for a like a week and we never know the insider that gave them information.”
Residents of Asenlera also shared their experiences with the fulanis as many have been affected badly and called on the State Government to call for total eviction of fulanis as they are living in fear and can no longer work on their farmlands, pointing out that this issue has been on ground for years with no reactions from the government nor the police command in the state.
Speaking with one, the Victim (name withheld) said, he was working on his farm when cows invaded the farm and while he was trying to question the fulani, he was shot in the leg.