The residents of Ìrele community in the Ìrele Local Government Area of Ondo State have raised the alarm over the rising attacks on the community, where residents were claimed to have sustained varying degrees of injury and destruction of farmlands by suspected hoodlums.
Some of the residents who spoke with PUNCH Metro in separate telephone interviews on Thursday expressed fear that the attacks on the community had become frequent, leading many to abandon the area for safer places.
Our correspondent learnt that the Irele community was formerly under Ikale Local Government Area, where the headquarters was Okitipupa. This, however, changed in 1991, when the Federal Government created more local governments across the country, leading to the creation of Irele Local Government with headquarters now Irele.
Multiple videos of the attacks’ aftermath, shared through a WhatsApp message with our correspondent on Thursday, show the property, including houses and motorcycles, said to have been razed by the suspected hoodlums.
Our correspondent also observed the destruction of what appeared to be plantain plantations and the wooden canoes used by residents to ferry themselves to neighbouring communities.
One of the residents of the community, Mr Fashadeju Wokan, told our correspondent that, “We have reported the case to the police station. We have witnessed attacks by bandits. I am going to the police station now to ask them why they would continue to take our complaints for granted. We made a report about the rising cases of attacks, but nothing has been done to date.
“These people will invade our community, burn down houses, and destroy our farmlands. Farmers can no longer go to their farms because of these people. When they attack our communities, they cover their faces with masks and come with motorcycles. We have reported this matter on several occasions, but nothing has been done. They shoot sporadically into the air whenever they attack. They have polluted our water.
“The last time they attacked, they destroyed the bridge that linked us to other communities. They set our houses ablaze. This attack started in March 2022. They are operating periodically. They could invade us this month, and then they may never show up throughout the period until three months later. Each time they attack, they find a way to escape.”
He lamented that the March 2024 attacks left devastating impact on the residents, leading several of them to flee for safety to Irele Township.
While seeking government’s intervention to stop the attacks in the community, the Baale of Eyinrowo, Chief Samuel Akinduyigbe, lamented that the fear of more attacks was preventing residents from going to their farms.
Akinduyigbe said, “They came with motorcycles to attack us. They used guns and other weapons. Most of us were on the farms when they launched the attacks. Now, we can no longer go to the farm. We need all our help to stop these attacks. These people have become terrorists. They come in, attack, and flee. I have personally taken about four people to the hospital after some of these attacks.”
Corroborating, the Igbeleju of Irele, Chief Tola Omogunwa, said the community had become hapless since the attacks, which have seen residents abandoning their farms, began.
Omogunwa said, “They injured a lot of people. They burnt down houses. They destroyed the bridge that connects us to the farm. All our farmlands have been destroyed by these people. We reported the matter to the police Area Command. But they don’t want to call it banditry.
“I don’t understand. When hooded and masked people invade a community, burn down houses, destroy farmlands, terrorise residents, and then flee, what do you call them? The attacks have been on the increase since they started in 2022. They invade the community, destroy property, and then flee the community.”
The spokesperson for the state police command, Ibukun Odunlami, while reacting to the claims of the community, urged the residents to approach the area command to lodge their complaints if they perceived the division was not taking any action.
“If they have filed several reports and they feel the case has not been properly handled, there is an area command in the area where they can still file their complaints,” she simply told our correspondent on Thursday.
