By Ademola Adekusibe
October 02, 2025
The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade I, has expressed concern over the recent killing of Yoruba indigenes by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Oke-Ode, Kwara State.
The monarch, who described the attack as mindless and barbaric, urged Nigerians to unite against what he called “enemies of peace and stability.”
Oba Owoade said he had contacted Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, on measures to prevent further attacks. In response, the governor assured that a battalion of soldiers had been deployed to the affected area.
The Alaafin, while lamenting the rising threat posed by herdsmen, called on the Federal Government to bring perpetrators to justice. He noted that Yorubas and Fulanis had lived peacefully for decades, wondering why the relationship had degenerated into violence.
“There can be no national development without peace and stability,” he said, urging leaders at all levels to design a sustainable security framework to tackle criminality, insurgency, and terrorism.
He also commended security agencies for their commitment and assured all ethnic groups living in Yorubaland of protection.
The monarch added that his palace would continue to adopt traditional conflict-resolution methods to foster dialogue and restore peace whenever disputes arise between farmers and herdsmen.
