My name is Olawale Esther Modupeoluwa. I was born on October 25 1995, to my parents Zubir Olawale Ibrahim and Mrs Fowokemi Olawale both native of Owo, Ondo State, Nigeria.
My parents lived in Ido-Ekiti where I was born. My father major in construction and stone crushing, my mother was a trader.
My father converted to Christianity in 2012. And my mother joined him in his new faith. She influenced him to change for Islam to Christianity. After their conversion our family was marked for persecution.
We moved and changed place of abode. We took shelter in Ayede Ogbese, in Akure North Local Government of Ondo State. We were received by a leader of the community, the third personality in Royal hierarchy of the kingdom, High Chief Oladimeji Ruben Abitogun the Odopetu of Ayede Ogbese.
He gave my parent some hectares of land for farming. My parent cultivated arable crops. We planted corns, vegetables and orchard. The muslim Fulanis herdsmen never stopped to trouble us. They said we deserved to be beaten because we were ‘traitors’ who betrayed Islam.They resulted to repeat attacks on our farmland, while my parents recorded huge loses.
In September of 2017 one Saturday morning I went to the farm with my parents the Fulanis came as usual they herded their cows into our farm the ate our plants.
The herdsmen assisted them (cows) to uproot cassava roots and tubers and fed the animals. My parents make attempts to save the farm but the fulanis responded with their rods and staff and guns. We ran, they pursued. I fell one of them pounced on me and forcefully raped me. After him another,and another and another. I blanked out. I woke up to report the incident to the High Chief who gave the farmland to my parents. I could not approach the police. They always takes side with the fulanis who they defer to like superior citizens.
I have lived with the shame of losing my virginity since then. With it I lost the woman virtue. I have lived with the shame. I am trying to gather the broken pieces of my life.
And now I bid farewell to the village and vow never to have anything to do withFulani. I will find happiness again some other day.
REGENT OF AYEDE OGBESE
REGENT OF AYEDE OGBESE CALLS FOR HALT TO FULANI ENCROACHMENT OF PLANTATIONS BY ALABA ABDUL-RASAQ
The people of Ayede Ogbese in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State have launched an appeal to curb indiscriminate use of violence and destruction of farms by Fulani herdsmen in the locality.
The regent to the vacant stool of the monarch of the Gateway Kingdom to the North East of Akure the capital of Ondo state, Princess Kofoworola Oluyede Olagbaju speaking through the Odopetu of the community, High Chief Oladimeji Abitogun alleged that the police are often unduly excited to take every complaints lodged by the Fulani herdsmen. They are indifference to the poor farmers and defenseless folks whom, he said have suffered huge losses, rape and unexplainable violence in various forms.
According to Odopetu Oladimeji Abitogun, extensive hectare of farmlands with valuable arable crops are often eaten up by herds of cattle belonging to the migrant fulanis. He said the local farmers are seeking paid compensations commensurate with their agricultural losses.
He said some marauders encroached on a plantation belonging to a couple, Mr. Olawale Zubair Ibrahim and Mrs. Fowokemi Olawale at Mile 140 end of the community, they attacked a couple and raped their daughter(names witheld).
He further explained that at the same location a fight broke out between some farmers and group of fulanis, there were injuries as a result of which the Deputy commissioner in charge of homicide in Ondo state summoned the town’s monarch, chiefs, and all the farmers on the igbajo stretch. The regent cannot go in person had to send two chiefs and the community lawyer, Mr. Olumide Ogidan.
Abitogun said that the invitation to the monarch and the chiefs was not proper as it was meant to intimidate,subdue and subjugate the indigenes of Ayede-Ogbese so that Fulani settlers and migrants would be seen as overlords asking if this was a deliberate policy of the Muhammad Buhari’s Government.
Chief Abitogun said that the community presently fear that the influx of fulanis and their activities could make the community to be desolate.
On the possible defense line by indigenes of Ayede Ogbese, he disclosed that the regent, Princess Kofoworola Olagbaju, is a lawyer who believes in the rule of law and could seek redress and compensation for farmers and other victims through the courts of law.
He said that everyone in the community was aware of the threat posed by such communal conflict as it could destroy the economy and socio activities.
At a recent Interactive forum organized at the palace of Alayede of Ayede Ogbese, residents came out in large numbers to vent their travail, pains, sufferings, arising from huge economic looses precipitated by uncontrolled cattle which Fulanis allow to range.
The Fulanis on the other hand through their public relation officer, Mallam Adamu Adamu, said that one of their teenage boys, who was minding a herd of cows, was matcheted, killed, his body tied to a log was thrown into River Ogbese .
Adamu Adamu said that Yoruba people are very friendly and accommodating and pose no danger to fulanis. However, he said some undisclosed ethnic groupings often come to forment trouble. This, he said must be put in check. He said the fulanis know those who constitute such danger.
Others at the forum included the second ranking chief in the community, Olisa Femi Fajembimo, the scribe to the royal counsel, Adaja Femi Joseph, head of Market woman, Iyaloja Margret Falaye, the clergy, the Divisional Police Officer and officials of a civil society group, Paraleg and others.
AYEDE OGBESE RESIDENTS CALL FOR ARREST OF CORRUPT B.E.D.C OFFICIALS
Ayede ogbese community in Akure North Local Government of Ondo State have called for an immediate arrest of officials of Benin electricity Distribution Company (B.E.D.C) for economic and financial crimes and conducts likely to lead to a breach of peace.
The residents of the community, who spoke through the representative of the regent to the story of Alayede of Ayede ogbese.
Princess kofoworola Oluyede Olagbaju, High Chief Oladimeji Abitogun, alleged that the B.E.D.C officials are waging economic and financial war to ruin the kingdom because of a fourteen day notice served through the community lawyer, Barrister Olumide Ogidan, demanding immediate supply of pre-paid meters and the need to stop arbitrary billing methods.
High Chief Oladimeji Abitogun, said that the people of the community have always been scammed systematically by B.E.D.C and it officials whom he said, clearly subjugate the people to servitude, in other to service greed, unearned luxury and corruption.
Instead of B.E.D.C to correct its perfidy Abitogun, the Odopetu of Ayede Ogbese, said the DISCO has begun illegal removal of supply cables to homes and business premises in our area “to lay our kingdom desolate”. According to him, he pointed fingers of capability at one Mr. Nicholas and another engineer Ayeni, whom he said called on the phone and threatened “to throw Ayede Ogbese into eternal darkness”. Similar to”what Ese-Odo Ilaje and Akoko people have experienced for close to five years because they thought they have constitutional right”.
The community leader said that the people of Ayede Ogbese have been grosly raped and scammed by B.E.D.C. We are determined to use the Law court to reject this economic and socio subjugation on which by B.E.D.C in the form of extreme fascism.
He said that Nicholas and Engineer Ayeni have done prohibitive things which the law does not permit, but its youth and resident of the kingdom have exercised restraint, with a demand that the Government must immediately arrest And prosecute the “two individual whom the tagged”.
However, B.E.D.C has sent an apology for the misconduct of Messrs Nicholas and Ayeni. At a parley with the leaders of the community on Thursday, the head marketing unit from Owo, Mr. Samuel Igbinoba said that the attitude of the two individuals was not a reflection of the disciple and ethics of the energy component.
He said that B.E.D.C was willingly to enter into negotiations with the residents of Ayede Ogbese in other to put a more inhumane structure and billing method in place but that it will be on individual metric, a suggestion that was out rightly rejected by the Chiefs and people at the forum .
Mr Igbinoba said he would convey the sentiments and demand of the community to B.E.D.C head office in Benin city, Edo State. While he was in attendance with three other official of the company, Ayede Ogbese people also had their legal team, Mr Olumide Ogidan and Princess Aderonke Adegoroye, and energy law expert, members of security outfits.
In the letter, convey grievances of Ayede Ogbese community Lawyer Olumide ogidan wrote: “despite several demand made to your company, Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC), Ayede Ogbese Branch, for the installation of pre-paid meters in their various houses, officials of your company neglected, refused and or failed to install them.
It is note-worthy that residents of Ayede Ogbese community are predominantly farmers who have their farmlands kilometers away from the community and only return home from farms by evening time. Furthermore, residents of the community hardly have appliances in their various homes such as Television set, refrigerator, washing machine, deep freezer, iron, and other heavy electronic gadgets(s). however, BEDC has been issuing exorbitant, outrageous, ridiculous and over bloated bills to residents of the community.
According to our clients, bills issued to them increase in geometric progression without a verified and cogent reason/justification whatsoever for the increase. For instance, Mrs Aiseda Hellen was issued a bill of #29,316.00 for the month of January 2018, and she was thereafter issued a bill of #39,136.86 in the month of February, 2018. The difference between the two bills is about #10,000.00 without evidence of additional facilities on building to what she has before. The said bills are attached as Annextures A and B respectively.
Similarly, Alhaji Bello Hassan was issued a bill of #26,266.80 in January 2018 and also issued a bill of #35,054.96 in February 2018 with a difference of about #10,000.00 without verifiable and cogent reason for such geometric increase. The utlity bills are attached as Annexures B and C respectively. BY Cristel Odili