Saliu Abdulkadir, an evicted Sarkin Fulani from Oyo State, has stated that Sunday Igboho, a Yoruba nation agitator, must be regretting his role in the Igangan expulsion by now.
Following the murders of some people of Igangan community in Oyo State’s Ibarapa axis in January 2021, Igboho raided the community and gave the town’s herders and Sarkin Fulani a week to depart their settlement.
The entire Gaa Seriki (the Sarki’s settlement) was demolished as tensions mounted in the community, while the Fulani chieftain, his wives and children, and other members of his family scurried for safety.
In an interview with Daily Trust a year later, the Sarkin Fulani claimed he still cries whenever he remembers the incident on January 22, 2021. He also maintained his innocence in the community’s kidnapping and murder episodes.
Abdulkadir said;
“It is on record that only three Yoruba persons were kidnapped in Igangan since the problem started; others were Fulani.
“I lost my younger brother in the process. We lost several of my kinsmen. You cannot even count the number of cows that were rustled. It was a sad moment for me. I lost everything I laboured for all my life and life has been extremely hard since last year when Sunday Igboho stormed my settlement.”
Giving a speech about the earlier quit notice issued by Igboho prior to his eviction, Sarki stated that he did not take the eviction notice lightly and that he received assurance from the state government after the quit notice, but that he was surprised that Igboho followed through on his threat without being challenged.
According to Abdulkadir,
“For those seven days, the state government sent 14 police officers to us and they were guiding us but the police officers were overpowered by Sunday Igboho’s men. This is why I don’t support the call for the release of Igboho.
“I am sure he must be regretting his actions now. Any Nigerian can live in any part of the country and I have always said that there are criminals everywhere. There are criminals among Yoruba just like we have among the Fulani people. This is where we expected the government to come in and fish out those who are criminally minded.”