An Oyo State-based lawyer, Femi Aborisade, has dragged President Muhammadu Buhari and Governor Seyi Makinde of the state before a Federal High Court in Ibadan over alleged Fulani killings in some local government areas of the state.
The councils include Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa East, Ibarapa North, Igangan, Atisbo, Irepo, Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola, Oorelope, Olorunsogo, Saki East and Saki West local government areas.
Other defendants in the suit filed by the legal practitioner are the state commissioner of police, attorney general of the federation and state commissioner for justice.
In his application, Aborisade asked the court to order Buhari, Makinde and others to arrest, investigate and prosecute suspected armed herders, suspected armed robbers and suspected kidnappers who commit criminal trespass, rape, murder, armed robbery, kidnapping and other offences in the LGAs.
The lawyer said he had been unable to visit members of his family living in Itasa, a town in Iwajowa Local Government Area for the past one year over fear of being attacked.
The court document read, “The respondents have failed to guarantee the fundamental rights of the people living and/or working in Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa East, Ibarapa North, including Igangan; Atisbo, Irepo, Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola, Oorelope, Olorunsogo, Saki East & Saki West Local Government Areas of Oyo State to life and freedom of movement.
“The respondents have failed to secure the lives and property of people living in Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa East, Ibarapa North, including Igangan; Atisbo, Irepo, Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola, Oorelope, Olorunsogo, Saki East & Saki West Local Government Areas of Oyo State.
“As a result of the violent attacks, several people have been killed while many others have been shot and macheted by the assailants, particularly in the aforementioned local government areas making up Ibarapa and Oke-Ogun geographical areas of Oyo State. Owing to several violent attacks by armed kidnappers and bandits, I have not been able to visit members of my family living in Itasa, in Iwajowa Local Government Area of Oyo State for the past one year.
“The armed gangs and bandits have violently attacked many farmers and dispossessed them of their farmlands in Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa East, Ibarapa North, including Igangan; Atisbo, Irepo, Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola, Oorelope, Olorunsogo, Saki East & Saki West Local Government Areas of Oyo State.Scores of women and girls have been abducted and raped by the armed gangs and bandits in the aforementioned local government areas making up Ibarapa and Oke-Ogun geographical areas of Oyo state.
“The police stations in the said local government areas of Oyo State have failed or refused to arrest and prosecute the members of the armed gangs terrorising law-abiding persons in Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa East, Ibarapa North, Including Igangan; Atisbo, Irepo, Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola, Oorelope, Olorunsogo, Saki East & Saki West Local Government Areas of Oyo State. Many girls living in the said local government areas of Oyo State have stopped attending schools for fear of abduction by the armed gangs.
“The several appeals made by concerned citizens to the respondents to halt the violent attacks on the people living and/or working in the aforementioned local government areas of Oyo State have been ignored without any justification. The respondents have failed to provide the persons living and/or working in the said local government areas of Oyo State with security to protect their lives and property.
He added that unless the reliefs sought by him in this application are granted, “insecurity, menacing threats to life and property in the aforementioned local government areas of Oyo State will continue unabated”.
“I have been actively involved in efforts to ensure peaceful co-existence between herders and the host community in Itasa but influx of herders who are not known to the resident Fulanis in Itasa has reduced the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to nothing but a paper tiger in the absence of government involvement in such mutually agreed framework for peaceful co-existence initiated by communities,” he said.
“Herein attached (and marked Exhibit 1) is the MoU dated 15th August 2017, which I helped to prepare pro-bono and which the host community and Fulanis resident in Itasa executed. The respondents will not be damnified in any manner if the reliefs sought by me are granted by this Honourable Court.”
The court has yet to fix a date for a hearing.
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