Date: 2017-01-25

More facts emerged yesterday on the identity of some Fulani people sighted in Agbeyangi, Ilorin East Local Government Area of Kwara State and alleged to be fleeing members of dreaded Boko Haram.

The Chairman, Kwara 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 armed bandits from a camp in Shiroro, Niger State and not members of the dislodged insurgents as reported by some section of the media.

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.

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

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

He told Journalists that he visited Agbeyangi community with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Oke-Oyi, Headquarters of Ilorin East Local Government; 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 clime 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 but from my investigation, I called the Miyeti-Allah Chairman of Niger State where they came from, and he said they are not Boko Haram. He said armed robbers attacked them in their camp in Shiroro Local Government. 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. And I ordered them to go back to where they came from because in Kwara here, 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 Kwara 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. And I confirmed from the Niger State Miyeti-Allah Chairman and he said it is true.

"I also asked them why is it that they did not inform the Mogaji of their local government. They said the Mogaji gave them letter, we saw the letter and we read it. And therefore we said we don't want them and I asked them to go back to wherever they came from", Alhaji Adamu said.