By Adetunji ADEGOKE
Trepidation has captured the heart of everyone in Ogbomoso. People are walking on the road with their minds trembling, watching side by side like bush fowl which stands on a ridge on the farm; some have restricted themselves from embarking on a journey to distant villages. Ogbomoso, the land of the valiant, has been turned into the field where brutal Fulani herdsmen play the game of abduction. This is intimidating. One can never expect this sort of dastardly act to happen in Ogbomoso.
July 18, 2022, in Ogbomoso, appeared as a black day. A young man was callously kidnapped by an unsuspected Fulani. This bizarre set tons of conscious residents of Ogbomoso agape when its news hit the airwave in the night, a few minutes after the attack.
On that fateful Monday, a supervisor in Alao Akala farm in Jabata, Ogbomoso was abducted. He was whisked away to an unknown destination where he was subjected to thorough manhandling by those abductors, who have no shelter than sleeping in the bush. Like animals like Fulani.
The awful occurrence happened dead in the night, this might be the reason they brazenly attacked the place without any shred of challenge or resistance. In the first instance, when they (abductors) contacted the family members or the co-workers of the victim, they were requested to pay the huge sum of One hundred million naira ( N100m). After thorough deliberation through a phone call, they concluded on five million naira (N5m) to grant him outright liberty.
During the process of that evil act, to invoke fear into the mind of the people around the scene, assortments of bullets were shot to decorate the air. They did as ordered and that innocent young man was bestowed freedom from the bandage of the herdsmen. The prey of this bad circumstance had been, reportedly, receiving medical attention in an undisclosed hospital.
Four days after the invasion of Alao-Akala farm which led to the kidnapping of the supervisor, precisely July 22, another attack was launched in Gbede village in Surulere Local Government, Ogbomoso. Indubitably, attacking in the night by those unscrupulous buffons has been their modus operandi. Almost late in the night, this set of people audaciously entered a private clinic, also with sporadic gunshots, kidnapped a man called “Baba Rasheed” as reported by media houses. As the Supreme being will have it, the abductee (Doctor) has reportedly escaped from the hands of the heartless bandits who dressed in army uniform to perpetrate an illicit action. This ‘Doctor’ is yet to be located, though. His siblings, wife, children et all would have been pitched into the pickle of mind unrest.
The platoon of security forces comprising, Operation Burst, Nigeria Police, Oyo State Security Network (Amotekun Operatives), Vigilante Group of Nigeria, Odua People’s Congress, etc responded massively and they have, arduously, been combing the bush, this might be the reason the Doctor had a chance of escape as reported.
I want to utilise this medium to direct my eulogium to the security personnel who are strenuously working to get the perpetrators arrested. Had it been they displayed a lukewarm attitude, I would not refuse to rain opprobrium on them unapologetically.
Ogbomoso is known as a city of maximum tranquility and incomparable bravery. Unfortunately, these uninformed elements have put a stain on the immaculate cloth of Ogbomoso pride. Going down the memory lane, in Ogbomoso, one could vividly recall that these same Fulani orchestrated numerous wars against Ogbomoso to vehemently hijack our lands from our progenitors. If I would not goof, it was during the reign of Oba Jayeola Arolofin Baiyewuwon, the monarch of Ogbomoso. This king was the younger brother of Oba Atoyeje Akanni who happened to be one of the generalissimos (Aareonakakanfo) of Yorubaland that have emerged. When the plight of invasion almost went haywire, Oba Baiyewuwon, the then King, as stated by Professor N.D Oyerinde in his book, “Iwe Itan Ogbomoso”, consulted the orally to proffer panacea to the quagmire, and he was admonished by the oracle to make a human sacrifice which he did.
Historically, two of his children (male and female) were used as sacrifice. They were consigned into a pit alive in Oja Igbo area in Ogbomoso. This bulwark is known as Ogun Ojalu till now. Consequent upon this, the dust settled and things were brought back to normalcy.
The question that rang in my head while reading the news of the two series of abductions that just happened in the town is: Is the bulwark still functioning? Can it be relied on for the spiritual protection of the town? If the monument has to be placated to make it function well, it will be advisable that it is done now to forestall any form of scurrilous attack against the town.
The death killing one’s contemporary speaks to one in a parable. Those Fulanis are intending to turn Ogbomoso into Kastina, where several people have been kidnapped. Yoruba will say, to prevent eyes from sighting bad things, one has to be security conscious and be on a lookout. May we never recorded any abduction in this terrain anymore.
At this juncture, I want to appeal to the philanthropists in this city to financially assist the local security personnel like OPC, VGN, etc. that are ready to protect us from the heinous attacks of any kind but who are hamstrung due to financial constraint. They’re profusely lamenting. Let’s assist them.
Adegoke writes from Ogbomoso.
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