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Displaced Fulani herdsmen invades Kwara towns and villages
By Dayo Badmus,
Following their forceful ejection from the South western part of Nigeria, Fulani Herdsmen are now moving en masse into the North Central.
Within the North Central Nigeria are states like Kwara state, Kogi State, Benue state and Niger state.
Kogi and Benue have had their fair share of Fulani invasion which is still a security concern for both Federal and State governments.
The earlier, Kwara state had in the past played host to mostly Fulanis who are not majorly in the cattle rearing business.
Most Fulanis in Kwara are mostly involved in normal day-to-day jobs and have constituted less crisis in the state where many have lived for hundreds of years.
However, the recent assault on the Fulani communities within Oyo and Ogun States championed by Oyo state born Sunday Adeyemo, better known as Sunday Igboho has seen the herders who have been largely blamed for criminal activities on their host communities seek refuge in neighbouring states.
The worst hit state remains Kwara which geographically falls within the Southwest but geopolitically regarded as a North central state.
Information from around Kwara state has now revealed that, the invasion of Fulani herders into the state now calls for concern.
According to information, the only exception from the invasion of Fulanis in the state are the two largest cities in the state, Ilorin and Ofa.
Reports from other cities is that, other local government outside these two have witnessed fulani invasion in large numbers.
Places like: Oke-Onigbin, Ajase, Oro, Igbaja, Isie, Ijara-Isin, Iwo-Isin have seen arrivals of herdsmen brought into the towns and villages.
According to a resident who simply identified herself as Olamide, they were brought in high numbers in trucks midnights.
“A lot of them have arrived here in the last one week. They were dropped in the villages but, during the daytime, they come into towns to buy things, majorly Spaghetti and Macaroni and other food stuffs.
“Some of us are happy because they come to towns and spend money buying things and we make good money from them but, we fear the same issues that got them sent out of where they were coming from my still repeat itself.
“People now close shops as early as 6pm. We fear because of what we hear and read about them.”
Asked if people will live with them if they dont cause trouble or constitute security treats? Olamide said, based on the large amount of money and its effects on their little economy, people wil like them to remain, “But, nobody will value money ahead of their lives.” She said.
