The Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has raised the alarm over the killing of three farmers during a fresh attack by gunmen in Igboho, his hometown in Orelope Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Adeyemo disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday in Ibadan, where he called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently address the worsening insecurity in rural communities across Oyo State.
According to the statement, the victims of the attack were identified as Aderoju Mukaila, Olawuwo Saka and Ojeniyi Ojebayo.
The statement noted that the farmers were attacked on Sunday and rushed to a hospital for treatment but later died from their injuries.
“Though the victims were rushed to a hospital after the attack, they later succumbed to their injuries despite efforts by medical personnel to save their lives,” the statement said.
Igboho lamented the government’s continued failure to respond decisively to repeated warnings about rising insecurity in the area, saying the latest killings validated his long-standing concerns.
“On Sunday, three innocent people were killed in my town, Igboho. This is exactly what I have been warning the government about for years. Nothing has changed, and our people continue to suffer attacks while those responsible roam freely,” he said.
He urged the government and security agencies to immediately intensify efforts to protect lives and property in the Oke-Ogun axis of Oyo State, stressing that insecurity had become a daily reality for residents of Igboho and surrounding communities.
Adeyemo further alleged that armed criminals, including gunmen and bandits, had infiltrated rural settlements and forests in the South-West, as well as neighbouring parts of Kwara and Kogi states.
“I have consistently raised concerns about the activities of gunmen, bandits and hoodlums who have infiltrated rural settlements and forests in the South-West, as well as parts of Kwara and Kogi states,” he added.
He warned that the continued attacks could push residents to resort to self-help if urgent action was not taken by the authorities.
“Victims of these attacks and their relatives are now in a state of despair. Their patience has reached its elastic limit. The Federal Government and relevant security agencies must take decisive action before residents are forced to take the law into their own hands in self-defence,” he said..
The activist also called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of those responsible for attacks on farmers and rural dwellers, urging security agencies to rely on actionable intelligence to prevent further violence in the region.
