The Community Head (Baale) of Oloka in the Oriire Local Government Council in the Oke Ogun region of Oyo State, Chief Joel Olatunde Alagbe, has asserted that it was Fulani herdsmen who shot and killed five forest personnel at the Old Oyo National Park situated within the community.
Speaking with New Telegraph, Chief Alagbe said that the dastardly act was carried out because some young Fulani herdsmen were apprehended by the Forest Guards for allowing their cattle to destroy some private farm produce, as well as those within the government forest. Instead of cautioning their fellow Fulani herdsmen against further destruction, their leaders came back with guns and shot five forest guards dead.
Speaking, he said, “Our forest guards here arrested some Fulani herdsmen and detained them in their office following the destruction of farm produce around this community and inside the forest.
“The forest guards asked them to call their leaders to come and identify them and bail them out. They came but said they would come back to effect the release of the arrested persons.
“At about 10.00 on Tuesday evening, while the people were eating, we just started hearing the shooting of guns. The Fulani gunmen invaded our Oloka community and started shooting into houses.
“In the course of it, they shot and killed five of the Old Oyo National Park forest personnel. Immediately, they wreaked havoc, they all fled and threw the community into panic.
“Immediately after the attack, my people started fleeing this community in fear that the gunmen could come back again. Many of them who fled the community have not returned.
“Just a few of them have summoned the courage to come back when they noticed that security personnel had stormed here and were guarding the community. The Police Commissioner, Mr Femi Haruna, has come here, and I have told him exactly what happened.
“Our plea to the government is how they will protect us at Oloka. The whole community had initially been deserted by the residents. As I said, some who have returned did so because of the assurance received from the security agents who have been patrolling this area.
“The Divisional Police Officer(DPO) of Ikoyi also came here about 9p.m yesterday (Thursday). What we have experienced is too bad. We want the government to rise up to this to prevent a recurrence”, the Baale said.
