Ekiti youths engage Fulani herdsmen in shoot-out

There was a palpable tension in Ipao-Ekiti, Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State, as some irate youth refused to allow Fulani herdsmen from grazing in the community.


A source in the Community revealed to newsmen that the situation has been like this for the past two weeks and it got worse on Tuesday when the angry youths went into the bush and started firing gunshots to scare away the herdsmen and their cattle.

A resident in the town, who spoke under anonymity said the youths had insisted on the herdsmen leaving the town. Another resident said the herdsmen also returned the fire with a superior fire power to push the hunters back while fleeing to safety.

To prevent the matter from escalating into full scale war, the Local Government Chairman on Wednesday quickly summoned an emergency meeting between the elders and youths in the town. When contacted on Wednesday, the Councillor for Oke-Ako/Ipao/Irele, Mr. Olusegun Kehinde, confirmed that an expanded meeting had been called for Friday. “The situation is under control. We have summoned a meeting among all the stakeholders including the herdsmen for Friday.

“We have appealed to our people to maintain peace and thank God, so far, there is no lost of lives of human and cows. “Our people are suspicious of the herdsmen because of the kind of arms some of them are carrying: that is why they are resisting them. “We are ensuring that the farmers, hunters and the herdsmen live together in peace because we are all one. But we must live and operate within the law of the land.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti state Command, Alberto Adeyemi, said he was to receive such briefing from the Area Commander and the Divisional Police Officer. He said officers of the command our on ground to handle any emergencies adding that police hot lines had been circulated among residents in the town. Adeyemi added that there was nothing to indicate tension in the town as the Police were alive to their responsibilities.