Leaders and residents of eight communities in Ogbomoso South Local Government Area of Oyo State have given herdsmen whose cattle are allegedly posing security concerns in the area a 48-hour ultimatum to leave the communities.
The community leaders said the decision followed growing concerns over security lapses in parts of the Ogbomoso geopolitical zone and the need to prevent further threats to lives and property.
Our correspondent gathered that residents of Oloka village, one of the communities in the area, have recently reported cases of kidnapping.
The development comes amid another kidnapping incident involving 39 students and seven teachers who were recently abducted in some communities in Oriire Local Government Area.
In response to the security concerns, residents and leaders of the affected communities at the Samaday area resolved to give a group of Fulani herdsmen who recently moved into the area 48 hours to vacate the communities.
The affected communities are Ibapon Are Oluwamodupe, Ayedire, Mercy Land, Estate, Irewolede, Ona Igbala, Ifesowapo and Grace Land.
The ultimatum was issued during a meeting held on Monday, which was attended by community leaders, including the Baale of Ibapon, Ashifat Akanji; Chairman of Ogbomoso Parapo (Home Headquarters), Prince Aderemi Olude; Seriki Fulani of Ibapon, Alhaji Idowu; other leaders from the affected communities; and the herdsmen.
Akanji, who announced the ultimatum on behalf of the communities, urged the herdsmen to leave within the stipulated period.
The traditional ruler said in a statement on Tuesday, “We are declaring today, Monday, August 10, 2026, that they must leave within 48 hours in the name of myself, the communities’ leaders, the Seriki Fulani in Ibapon (Idowu), and Ogbomoso Parapo.
“We don’t know them, we have Fulanis who have been living with us here, whose head is Idowu, whom we issued ID cards. But these ones, we are unfamiliar with them and recently we held a security meeting with the Commissioner of Police who sternly warned us to be wary of strangers in our midst. We don’t cause trouble and we abide by the law but we won’t wait till evil befall us before we take action.”
Chairman of the eight communities, Mr Alagbe Oyebamiji, alleged that the herders had caused disturbances within the communities and surrounding areas.
He said, “Their livestock destroys our farms, damages our septic tanks (soak away), defecates on the roads, which can cause accidents, which can transmit diseases and menaces us with stench, messing up the whole area. We had to report to law enforcement agents who drove them away but they returned, so, we notified the Ogbomoso Parapo, hence this step we jointly took.”
Also speaking, Olude said the decision to issue the ultimatum was aimed at safeguarding lives and property in the affected communities.
He said, “When we heard of the matter that the herders had constituted themselves into nuisance and constituting security threat, we intervened. Initially, the communities claimed the herdsmen said Baale Ibapon permitted them to occupy the place but when we contacted the royal father he denied it, then, the herders said it was Seriki Fulani in the area, one Idowu, and that one too denied it.
“So, we convened a broad-based meeting this morning and after the meeting, we gave them 48 hours to vacate the place, after which we would take step according to the law. That is what security agencies have been preaching, to speak out when we see something strange that could pose a security challenge.”
