Segun Akanni, Toronto, Canada
About twenty Fulani herdsmen have arrived in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, to “settle” and “graze”.
The Ogun State Police Command confirmed the development in a statement by its spokesman, Abimbola Oyeyemi.
Oyeyemi said the herdsmen have been profiled.
He said though anyone was free to reside in any part of the country, the condition under which the herdsmen came into the city calls for caution, advising members of the public to go about their businesses without any fear.
The statement by the Command reads in full:
The attention of Ogun State Police Command has been drawn to a social media report that some group of people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen came into Opeji area of Abeokuta in two trucks and the Command wish to clarify the issue as follows:
That on Monday 22nd of January 2018, we received an intelligence report about the arrival of a group of people numbering about twenty who are suspected to be Fulani herdsmen into Opeji area and their mission in the area is highly suspicious.
Upon the report the Commissioner of Police CP Ahmed Iliyasu quickly directed the Adatan Area Commander, the DPO Odeda Division and Assistant Commissioner of Police Department of Operations to move in to the place and find out who the people are and what their mission is about. He further directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of Department Of Criminal Investigation and Intelligence to carry out full scale investigation into their mission.
2. It was discovered that the men are of Fulani extraction from Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State and they came to Opeji on the invitation of a man who claimed to be the Baale of the area and claimed to have had long time relationship with them to settle and graze in the area.
3. In as much as every Nigerian has the right to live in any part of the Country, the Police whose constitutional responsibility is to protect life and properties is duty bound to access, profile and investigate anybody whose aim of coming to Ogun is suspicious.
4. In view of the above, the Command wish to inform the good people of Ogun State that the men are under strict surveillance, they have been profiled and put under proper monitoring and their movement restricted by Operatives from the intelligence Bureau and other formations such as FSARS, Anti-kidnapping, Cultism Units and Police Mobile Force PMF.
5. Also the Command Operatives at all level in the State have been put on red alert to forestall any likely incident or security breach across the State. We are working in collaboration with other sister Security Agencies as well as the Stakeholders proactively put in place at Divisional, Area Command at State level with the mandate of meeting and carrying out dialogue with all concerned entities to forestall any ugly incident.
6. The Command therefore wish to allay the fears of the good and peace loving people of the State of rumors from mischief makers of any imminent attack. People should go about their lawful businesses without the fear of harassment or molestation from anybody as the Police and other sister Security Agencies are on ground to ensure security of life and properties at all times.
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