Cynthia Ezegwu
The Ogun State Police Command has dismissed fears of an impending attack on Ajebo community in Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, assuring residents that there is no credible threat despite a viral video alleging that herdsmen were planning to invade the area.
The command’s spokesperson, CSP Omolola Odutola, made this known in a statement issued on Friday, describing the claims circulating on social media as false and capable of inciting unnecessary panic.
Following the viral video, the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, deployed the command’s tactical unit led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations) to the community to verify the situation. The team was accompanied by operatives of the Amotekun Corps, So-Safe Corps, local hunters, the Vigilante Group of Nigeria and the Police Community Relations Committee.
Odutola said the joint security team discovered that the Fulani settlers referenced in the viral video were long-established residents living peacefully within the community.
“The operatives discovered that the Fulani settlers in Ajebo are not hostile migrants but long-standing residents, living peacefully within the community. Children and women were seen in their temporary shelters, but no arms or suspicious activities were detected,” she said.
She added that no adult male was found at the camp as the men had travelled to Oyo State for trading activities, which aligns with their routine economic pattern. A further sweep revealed an extended RUGA settlement said to have existed for more than a decade.
The command also confirmed that the traditional ruler of Ajebo, Oba Rueben Oluwole, who reportedly approved the allocation of land to the settlers, has been invited for clarification. The Baale of Alapako, where another cluster of huts was identified, has also been summoned for a meeting with the Commissioner of Police.
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Odutola noted that security agencies are maintaining surveillance within the forest area located about 10 kilometres from the main community, stressing that their presence is precautionary since the settlers were found to be unarmed and peaceful.
The police urged residents to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information that could heighten tension, assuring that proactive intelligence measures are in place.
The clarification comes amid heightened national concerns over farmer-herder tensions, which have historically stemmed from competition over land, grazing routes and migration pressures worsened by desertification in northern states.
In January 2025, Gboyega Isiaka, the House of Representatives member for Yewa North/Imeko-Afon, raised concerns over a “herdsmen invasion” of farmlands in Araromi-Ibese, alleging destruction of crops and disruption of livelihoods.