Herdsmen allege disappearance of 500 cattle in Oyo

Fulani herdsmen in Ibarapa area of Oyo State, on the platform of Jamu Nati Fulbe Association of Nigeria, have threatened to close down all Kara Markets (cattle markets) in the area over the disappearance of about 500 cows.

They said all complaints lodged by herdsmen over the disappearance have fallen on deaf ears.

While speaking with newsmen in Ibadan yesterday, National Chairman of the Fulani socio-cultural organisation, Alhaji Saliu Kadir, said the first step to compel the stakeholders to pay attention to them is for all cattle markets in the area to be shut down.

He said the action was intended to protest alleged continuous killing of their cattle by unknown farmers in the area.

Kadir warned that the markets’ closure would persist for one week in the interim and warned that it would be extended if they failed to get the authorities’ assurance of protection from those killing their cattle indiscriminately.

He noted further that although the issue was reported to Oyo State Government and the state Police Command, they were yet to meet with them (herdsmen) to discuss ways and means of preventing further occurrence and forestall crisis.

Meanwhile, the state Commisioner of Police, Sam Adegbuyi, has set up a monitoring committee comprising representatives of the farmers and the herdsmen in the area to unravel the mystery behind the missing 500 cows.

Their complaints coincided with the alarm raised by another Fulani group in Iseyin town, alleging that 25 cattle were killed.

A peace meeting was summoned by Adegbuyi between the herdsmen and farmers at the command headquarters, Eleiyele, where he directed the Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, CIID, to commence investigation into the incident.

Source: Vanguard