Miyeti-Allah: Fulani Men Sighted in Agbeyangi are Victims of Bandits

Miyeti-Allah: Fulani Men Sighted in Agbeyangi are Victims of Bandits

Fresh facts emerged today on the real identity of some Fulani people sighted in Agbeyangi, a town in Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State which were alleged to be fleeing members of the Boko Haram sect.

Palpable tension last Sunday enveloped Ilorin, the state capital, over the alleged rumours that some members of Boko Haram had invaded Agbeyangi town with their materials like mattresses, beds, pillows and other items.

Since then, various stakeholders in the state have been moving around to verify the alleged claim while the state police command had denied the invasion of the suspected Boko Haram members in the state.

But, the Chairman of the state chapter of Miyeti-Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Usman Adamu, who spoke with journalists in Ilorin yesterday, said the strangers were victims of bandits from a camp in Shiroro, Niger State, and not members of the dislodged sect as reported by some sections of the media (not THISDAY).

He said it has been established that they were attacked by unknown assailants who reportedly slaughtered two of their children, prompting their quick vacation of the camp and sought asylum in Kwara State.

Adamu explained that there was no prior notification on their coming to the state and the state could not harbour such strangers even though they are Fulanis.

He stated that he had communicated witgh his counterpart in Niger State, who also confirmed the attack on them by the unknown assailants.

Adamu told journalists that he visited Agbeyangi community with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Oke-Oyi, Headquarters of Ilorin East Local Government Area, the community head and Alhaji Oba Ajara where it was confirmed that they are not questionable characters.

The Miyeti-Allah chairman said the relative security in the state should be abused by any unknown persons and had therefore ordered them to relocate to their place.

"Before now, I heard that they are Boko Haram members but from my investigation, I called the Miyeti-Allah chairman of Niger State where they came from. He said armed robbers attacked them in their camp in Shiroro Local Government Area. The attackers were said to have killed two of their children and demanded N10million from them before they can be allowed to return and live in the camp. That is why they vacated from Niger State to Kwara State as a matter of emergency.

"I'm not aware of their coming. After calling my counterpart in Niger State, I went there (Agbeyangi community) myself; I met them in group with the DPO of Oke-Oyi and Baale of Agbeyangi, Alhaji Oba Ajara, and from our findings, we confirmed that they are not Boko Haram members. And I ordered them to go back to where they came from because in Kwara State, we will not receive people like that without our prior consent.

"They are Fulanis. We asked them why they decided to come to Kwara State without the consent of the state government? They claimed that the reason they vacated from their location was due to emergency, that armed robbers attacked them and slaughtered two of their children.