The Chairman of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association in Oyo State, Alhaji Ibrahim Jiji, has raised the alarm that the lives and property of Fulani people in Saki are no longer safe following a deadly attack on their settlement in Gbepakan village, Saki West Local Government by yet-to-be identified assailants.
He disclosed that the brutal assault, which occurred in the dead of night on Tuesday, August 26, claimed the lives of at least 11 people and left many injured. According to him, the injured are currently receiving treatment at the Baptist Hospital, Saki.
The Oyo MACBAN Chairman, however, vowed that his association would use all lawful means to seek justice and would not resort to taking the law into their own hands.
He, therefore, appealed to the Federal government, Oyo state government, and the Inspector General of Police, IGP to intervene and ensure that the culprits are apprehended and prosecuted.
A human rights lawyer, Barrister Mashood Agboola Yussuf, who is a legal counsel to the association, described the attack on the Fulani community as gruesome and barbaric, and disclosed that a petition would be submitted to the IGP.
He said the incident had raised concerns about the safety of people within the village, and called for urgent action to address the rising tensions.
Meanwhile, the Acting Governor of Oyo State, Bayo Lawal, has assured that the perpetrators of the attack would be brought to book, noting that investigations were ongoing as the State Commissioner of Police had already paid a visit to assess the situation.
Lawal, who gave this assurance when he paid an on-the-spot assessment visit to the village last Thursday, pledged that the state government would not relent in securing lives and property of people in the state.
