The expelled Seriki Fulani of Ibarapa community, Oyo state, has claimed his ordeal started because he was reporting both Yoruba and Fulani criminal elements responsible for kidnapping in the community.
The Seriki said this during an interview with Vanguard.
“I believe it had to do with a particular popular politician in that community. He had thugs who were also into kidnapping.
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I reported this man to the police when it became apparent that the situation was getting out of hand. At that time, they kidnapped some Fulani men and demanded ransom. The kidnapped Fulanis were kept in their house and we started the process of negotiating the ransom. It was at the point of collecting the money that we arranged their arrest with the help of Fulani and Yoruba vigilante, including the police. As I speak with you, some of them are in Agodi Prison, in Ibadan today. Some are still with the police.
“They just want to tarnish my name. I was the one who reported so many acts of kidnapping. I reported both the Fulani and Yoruba kidnappers from the community. A recent case was the one that happened in a place called Lanlate. I helped the police to arrest the kidnappers of a victim whose husband was killed. The kidnapper is at Agodi Prison now. They just want to rope me in. You’ll recall that it was the popular politician in the community, (name withheld), who led Sunday Igboho to my house to give me a quit notice. I mentioned his touts to the police and they are presently in prison”
