Ogun police dismiss alleged herdsmen attack video, reassure residents

By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta

The Ogun State Police Command has dismissed a viral social media video alleging that herdsmen were planning an attack on Ajebo community in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, assuring residents that there is no threat to public safety.

Police spokesperson, CSP Omolola Odutola, said in a statement on Friday that the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, deployed a tactical team led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) to verify the claim and assess the security situation.

According to her, the team was accompanied by other security outfits, including the Amotekun Corps, So-Safe Corps, local hunters, the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, and the Police Community Relations Committee.

Odutola explained that the operatives found no indication of violence or hostile activity. Instead, they discovered that the Fulani settlers in Ajebo are long-established residents who live peacefully within the community. Women and children were seen in their shelters, and no weapons or suspicious movements were observed.

She noted that no adult male was present during the visit because the men had travelled to Oyo State for trading activities—part of their usual economic routine. An extended RUGA settlement, said to have existed for over a decade, was also identified during the sweep.

The Police Command has invited the traditional ruler of the area, Oba Rueben Oluwole, who reportedly allocated land to the settlers, for clarification. The Baale of Alapako, where another Fulani settlement cluster was identified, has also been invited for a meeting with the Commissioner of Police.

Odutola added that security operatives are maintaining surveillance around the forest area located about 10 kilometres from the main community, stressing that the measure is purely precautionary since the settlers were found to be unarmed and peaceful.

The Command urged the public to remain calm, stay vigilant, and refrain from circulating unverified information capable of causing unnecessary fear.

The reassurance comes amid broader national concerns over farmer-herder tensions, often linked to land use, grazing routes, and migration patterns influenced by environmental pressures in northern Nigeria.

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