Angry residents on Monday razed a Fulani settlement in Iraye village, Sagamu, Ogun State, over the abduction of a woman by suspected herdsmen on Sunday.
Locals told Premium Times that before the Sunday abduction, residents had been accusing some Fulani settlers of being the brains behind the spate of kidnappings in the area.
A police source, who preferred not to be named because he was not authorised to speak, said “one person was severely injured in the attack and many other Fulanis in the area scampered for safety.”
Kunle Ajayi, a resident who witnessed the attack, said the abducted woman is yet to regain her freedom.
“We are yet to see the woman and the Fulani guys have been fingered in various kidnappings in Ogun. We don’t want them again.”
The leader of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria in Ogun State, Abdulmumin Ibrahim, confirmed the attack, saying five houses were burnt in the settlement.
“It is true that they attacked our people’s settlement, but nobody died. About five houses were burnt in the settlement and we have asked those affected to make a formal report at Sagamu Police Station,” he said.
The Ogun State Police Command spokesperson, Abimbola Oyeyemi, also confirmed the incident, but said normalcy had been restored in the area.
Oyeyemi said: “The residents heard that some Fulani herdsmen kidnapped someone in her farm in Iraye and they went there to set ablaze Fulani settlement.
“A Fulani man was injured and he is currently in the hospital but normalcy has been restored.”
He also confirmed that the abducted woman is yet to be rescued.