By Gideon Njoku
When Gani Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yoruba land publicly announced that the issue of murderous herdsmen in Yoruba land would end within four months, and, warned them off the zone, not many people took him seriously. They dismissed him with a wave of the hand. He is just talking. What can he do where hoards of security personnel seem to have failed?, they asked.
Adams is the leader of the Oodua People’s Congress, OPC. More important is the Aare Onakakanfo title which he holds. It literary means the Generalissimo of Yoruba land. He is the race’s war commander. The traditional title is enmeshed in tradition, mysteries.
Adams made the pledge to rid Yoruba land of murderous herdsmen in the aftermath of many violent killings in the zone, especially, the murder of the daughter of Yoruba Leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti, Barr. (Mrs) Olufunke Olakunri, along the road, allegedly, by herdsmen.
Those who dismissed Adams’ threat may just now have a second thought if what happened in Ondo state on Saturday is anything to go by.
On that day, something mysterious happened in Ijare Community, Ifedore LGA, Ondo State.
Thunder and Lightning which shook the whole town struck. When the people recovered from the shock, they found out that something more mysterious has even happened in their land.
The lightning which swept through their town had killed 36 cows in one fell swoop. More mysterious is that none of the herdsmen died. They ran scampered to safety.
The people say the death of the cows is attributable to their gods.
They insist that the herdsmen crossed the red line with their cows. They said they stepped into a sacred area of a forest where only their king, or virgins dare. Even then, their king go there only once a year where he spends a night in seclusion, in a cave within the mountain-top. That was around where the cows were struck dead.
From the foot of the mountain to the top, it takes about an hour to get there. The question is: how did the herdsmen and their cows get there?
The cows may have been along the line of lightning. But the people dismiss that, and say it was their god fighting back.
A traditional chief in the area, Wemimo Olaniran, said the cows stepped on sacred grounds and were killed. His words:
“Five days before this time, we learnt that Fulani herdsmen were there to carry wood to build their tent, and we feared that they were taking over the land from us. And, we prayed to God to save us, to intervene because we don’t want anything to desecrate the place because it is a very special place as far as Ijare Community is concerned”
While a few people think it was a natural phenomenon, many say it is spiritual. Yet some others say it is a warning from Yoruba deites.
Alhaji Bello Garuba, the Chairman of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association, confirmed the death of the 36 cows, and described it as sad.
Meanwhile, the fear of the unknown has gripped a number of cattle breeders in the zone.
