• Fulani herdsmen rape, set two women farmers ablaze in Dekina
From Emmanuel Adeyemi, Lokoja
In the last few weeks, residents of Kogi State, especially those in the rural communities, are living in grave fear as suspected kidnappers and bandits have been unleashing terror in their villages. In some local governments, these evildoers, a majority of whom are suspected to be Fulani herders, have reportedly dispossessed the villagers of their lands.
Some of the affected communities included Kupa, Tajimi, Ogbaibon in Lokoja LG and Suku, Kiri, Abihi, Ike and Akutupa in Bunu district of Kabba-Bunu LG. Others are Bagana and Bagaji villages in Omala LG and in some other communities in Dekina LG.
The more worrisome is that there are more than 2,000 herders’ camps in the forests even as more and more Fulani herders are daily trooping into the forests. The consequence of this influx is nothing palatable. Several persons were killed or maimed of late, while women and under-aged girls were raped.
On Wednesday, March 26, 2025, in Okete, Dekina LG, two women, who were working on the farm, were raped, killed and set ablaze. A community leader, Akowe Akofe, told Daily Sun: “We thought we would pick them up alive when the news came to the community that Wednesday. But we got to the farm and found their corpses ripped with bullets and with burns all over their bodies.
“We are yet to establish their offences for which they were to deserve this kind of mistreatment from the herders on their own farm.”
About the same time, the son of the traditional ruler of Aiyegunle Igun in Kabba Bunu LG, identified as Ojo, was kidnapped along Kabba- Obajana Road. His abductors demanded N35 million as ransom before he was released.
The son of the traditional ruler of Oyoo-Iwaa, the community hosting the Obajana Cement Plant, was not that lucky as he was killed by his abductors. Two members of the vigilance group, who attempted to rescue him were also killed.
Woman community leader, Ruth Williams, was abducted on that occasion. Irked by the sad episodes, youths took to the streets of Obajana, blocking entries and exits to the community. One Daramola, who participated in the protest, said his cousin was kidnapped last month in Oyo-Iwaa:
“These kidnappers are in groups, wearing security uniforms. Herdsmen are occupying our farm lands and building ‘rugas ‘ while the state government is doing nothing about that.”
In Aiyetoro Kiri, Kabba Bunu LG, six people were kidnapped along with a timber contractor. Eyewitnesses said the suspects were armed with sophisticated weapons: “They targeted the only mobile phone charging shop in the town and carted away more than 50 phones.”
National President, Aiyetoro-Kiri Development Association, Tolufashe Olusegun, described the abduction in the town as one too many in recent times. He lamented that the people of Bunu could no longer access their farmlands following frequent attacks by armed groups.
The same fear in Odo-Ape, also in Kabba Bunu LG. The community was recently unsettled by the abduction of their councillor and eight others. They were picked from their respective homes in the middle of the night. Traditional ruler of the community, Michael Meseko, admitted that the community has been enveloped with fears after these invasive incidents.
Not even Chairman, Kabba-Bunu LG, Dare Michael Zacheaus, was spared by these marauders! He was abducted along Okene-Kabba Road. He narrowly escaped from his abductors when he fell down in the forest. His three aides were not that lucky. Millions of naira were paid for their freedom.
These incidents have been a source of protests. One of them was staged by some angry women from Oke-Ere in the Yagba West LG recently. They protested the killings of three persons by herdsmen and the “endless reign of terror” in their community.
The women, many of whom were elderly, marched through the town half-naked, holding sticks and leaves as they cried about the constant attacks, kidnappings and killings around them. They urged government and the security agencies to step in and end the violence surge.
Okun Development Association (ODA), the apex socio-cultural organisation of the Okun-Yoruba people of Kogi State, expressed concern over the level of insecurity across Okun land. At “Stakeholders Security Summit” in Kabba, headquarters of Kogi-West Senatorial District, presided by ODA President-General, Akenson Rotimi, they expressed grave concern over the upsurge in the cases of kidnapping and banditry and charged the authorities to do more to arrest the situation.
Olujumu of Ijumu and Chairman, Ijumu Traditional Council, Oba Williams Olusegun Ayeni, submitted that the persistent attacks by some non-indigenous criminal elements are evidently driven by an agenda to grab the land of the Okun people and possibly subjugate the people: “This must be jointly resisted.”
Major John Ojo (retd) said to curb kidnappings, state government must “intensely be committed” to community policing, reorganise the vigilance/hunter groups with good welfare package and good monthly remuneration and ensure proper documentation of all strangers coming to the state.
He urged government to be bold enough to stop Dangote trucks from parking all manners of people from the core North and neighbouring countries into Kogi State and southern part of the country on daily basis.