Residents of the Maje, Soka area of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital are in panic following the alleged invasion of the area by about 300 suspected herdsmen.

The Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples Congress in Oyo State, Mr Rotimi Olumo, who told our correspondent that residents of the area alerted him, said he went to the area and saw the three luxury buses that brought the suspected herdsmen to the area.

Olumo said the people, who suspected that the herdsmen had a suspicious mission in the area, prevented them from disembarking from the vehicles.

He said he alerted the police and some policemen from Sanyo Police Station were deployed.

The OPC coordinator said he was surprised to see a large number of Fulani people in the area, saying the area is not Sabo – a popular settlement for northerners.

Asked if the passengers came with their cattle, he said no but stated that they were suspected to be herdsmen.

Olumo said, “I received a series of calls this morning that some luxury buses brought some Fulani and Bororo herdsmen numbering about 300 to the area. They came around 07 am today. I went to the place and discovered that all the passengers in the vehicles are Fulani and Bororo.

“There is no Igbo, no Yoruba among them. This made the people suspicious and we have to be vigilant because of the security situation all over the country. We asked them questions but they refused to disclose their destination. So, we invited the police to come and see them.

“Policemen came from Sanyo Police Station and their response was very prompt. They took the buses to their station and parked them there before I left. One of the Fulani people came down to talk with the police but I didn’t know what they discussed. But everybody must be vigilant.”

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, when contacted by our correspondent did not pick the phone and was yet to respond to the text message sent to him on this matter.

Punch