Yoruba nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, on Monday raised the alarm over the killing of three farmers during a fresh attack by gunmen in Igboho, his hometown in Orelope Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Adeyemo, in a statement issued in Ibadan, called on President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to urgently address the growing insecurity in rural communities across Oyo State and other parts of the South-West to avert further violence and chaos.
According to a statement authorised by Adeyemo, the victims were identified as Aderoju Mukaila, Olawuwo Saka and Ojeniyi Ojebayo.
“Though the victims were rushed to a hospital after the attack, they later succumbed to their injuries despite efforts by medical personnel to save their lives,” the statement said.
Igboho lamented what he described as the government’s failure to respond decisively to repeated warnings about rising insecurity in the area.
“On Sunday, three innocent people were killed in my town, Igboho. This is exactly what I have been warning the government about for years. Nothing has changed, and our people continue to suffer attacks while those responsible roam freely,” he said.
He urged the Federal Government and security agencies to intensify efforts to protect lives and property in the Oke-Ogun axis, noting that insecurity had become a daily reality for residents of Igboho and surrounding communities.
“I have consistently raised concerns about the activities of gunmen, bandits and hoodlums who have infiltrated rural settlements and forests in the South-West, as well as parts of Kwara and Kogi states,” Adeyemo added.
He said the latest attack underscored the need for President Tinubu’s administration to deploy effective security measures to curb what he described as the deadly activities of criminals wreaking havoc in the region.
“Victims of these attacks and their relatives are now in a state of despair. Their patience has reached its elastic limit. The Federal Government and relevant security agencies must take decisive action before residents are forced to take the law into their own hands in self-defence,” he warned.
Adeyemo also called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible for attacks on farmers and rural dwellers in South-West communities, urging security agencies to leverage actionable intelligence to prevent further violence.
Meanwhile, The PUNCH reports that parts of northern Nigeria have recorded a surge in terrorist and bandit attacks, resulting in killings and kidnappings. Recent incidents in Kwara and Kogi states, which share borders with the South-West, have heightened regional anxiety and prompted governors in the zone to convene an emergency security meeting.
