Herdsmen return to Igangan, cut retired principal’s hands

By OLUFEMI OLANIYI

Suspected Fulani herdsmen have launched a fresh attack on Igangan in the Ibarapa North Local Government Area of the state.

Our correspondent gathered that some herdsmen on Friday afternoon attacked a retired school principal, Ojedokun Ogunmodede.

The reason why his assailant attacked him was not clear but sources close to the victim said there was no confrontation between him and the herdsmen who inflicted machete injuries which almost chopped off his two hands.

The Secretary of Ibarapa Farmers Union, Mr Taiwo Adeagbo, who is popularly known as Akowe Agbe, told our correspondent on the telephone that the retired principal is his relative.

Adeagbo, who is fighting for the rights of farmers in Ibarapa, said herdsmen had not stopped destroying farms and attacking farmers in the area despite the public outcry against their criminal activities.

He said, “The victim is my relative. He is a retired principal and he should be around 62 years old. I was called to see what happened to him. I immediately called the Commissioner of Police (Ngozi Onadeko). She said I should report to the police officially and I called the DPO in Ayete. He came with two officers and two vans loaded with armed policemen.

“The DPO could not look at the pictures of the victim. They were gory. Strands of flesh are preventing the two hands from falling off after the attack. The two hands are almost off. They have ruined his life.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in Oyo State Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, when contacted said the attack was a reprisal by a herder to an earlier attack against three Fulani by some youths in Igangan.

He said, “Information from DPO Ayete revealed that a Fulani herdsman attacked and macheted a man in his farm by causing injury to his hands.

“ The attack was a reprisal by some youths in Igangan, three Fulani herdsmen were attacked and they sustained injuries while they were rushed to a hospital in Igboora for treatment.

“The DPO Ayete and his police personnel were drafted to the scene to prevent further attack. The aggrieved youths were  dispersed and  normalcy restored.” (Saturday PUNCH)