Insecurity: Oyo Community Leaders Issue 48-hour Quit Notice To Herdsmen

Leaders and residents of some communities in the Ogbomoso South Local Government Area of Oyo State have issued a two-day ultimatum to unruly herdsmen whose cattle have been causing a nuisance and posing security threats to vacate their communities.

The community leaders explained that the ultimatum was necessary due to recent security lapses in parts of the Ogbomoso geopolitical zone.

It was gathered that some cases of kidnapping have been reported in Oloka village, one of the communities in the area.

Another case of kidnapping was the recent abduction of 39 students and seven teachers in some communities in Oriire Local Government Area.

Leaders and residents from the eight communities in Ogbomoso South local government area, in their resolve to address the problem, issued a 48-hour ultimatum to a roving group of Fulani herdsmen who recently settled in the area.

The affected communities located in the Samaday area were Ibapon Are Oluwamodupe, Ayedire, Mercy land, Estate, Irewolede, Ona Igbala, Ifesowapo and Grace land.

It was gathered that the ultimatum was issued at a meeting held on Monday and attended by the community leaders, including Baale Ibapon, Ashifat Akanji, the Chairman of Ogbomoso Parapo (home headquarters), Prince Aderemi Olude, the Seriki Fulani Ibapon, Alhaji Idowu, other leaders of the affected communities, and the herders.

Ashifat Akanji, while issuing the ultimatum on behalf of the communities, advised the herders to comply immediately.

The traditional ruler in a statement on Tuesday said, “We are declaring today, Monday, 10 August 2026, that they must leave within 48 hours in the name of myself, the communities’ leaders, the Seriki Fulani in Ibapon (Idowu), and Ogbomoso Parapo.

“We don’t know them; we have Fulanis who have been living with us here, whose head is Idowu, with whom we issued ID cards.

“But these, we are unfamiliar with them, and recently we held a security meeting with the Commissioner of Police, who sternly warned us to be wary of strangers in our midst.

“We don’t cause trouble, and we abide by the law, but we won’t wait till evil befalls us before we take action.”

Chairman of the eight communities, Mr Alagbe Oyebamiji, disclosed that the strange herders had constituted a menace in the eight communities and neighbouring areas.

He said, “Their livestock destroys our farms, damages our septic tanks (soak away), defecates on the roads, which can cause accidents, which can transmit diseases and menaces us with stench, messing up the whole area.

“We had to report to law enforcement agents who drove them away, but they returned, so we notified the Ogbomoso Parapo, hence this step we jointly took.”

Olude, in his contribution, noted that the ultimatum was issued to ensure the security of lives and properties in the affected communities.

He said, “When we heard of the matter that the herders had constituted themselves into a nuisance and constituted a security threat, we intervened.

“Initially, the communities claimed the herdsmen said Baale Ibapon permitted them to occupy the place, but when we contacted the royal father, he denied it. Then the herders said it was Seriki Fulani in the area, one Idowu, and that one, too, denied it.

“So, we convened a broad-based meeting this morning, and after the meeting, we gave them 48 hours to vacate the place, after which we would take steps according to the law.

“That is what security agencies have been preaching, to speak out when we see something strange that could pose a security challenge”, he added.