Police round up hoodlums who set Igboho’s house ablaze

THE Oyo State Police Command today said it is pursuing yet unidentified persons who set ablaze Sunday Igboho’s house in Ibadan.

  Disclosing this today in a statement in Ibadan, the police said it received report of the arson committed against the person of Igboho by yet to be identified person(s).

  According to the Ibadan Police Command’s report, “at about 06;20 hrs of today 26/01/2021, report was received at Santo Police Station that some unidentified hoodlums came to Sunday Igboho’s house at SOKA area of Ibadan in a Hummer bus and Micra firing sporadically, and set the house ablaze,” the police said.

 “The mini sitting room got burnt in the process while amount of other properties is yet to be estimated.

  “Immediately the DPO Sanyo got wind of the incident, he contacted Fire Service while he also went to the scene for on the spot assessment and the fire was eventually put out.”

  Continuing, “investigation has commenced into the incident while the Police is on the trail of the hoodlums.”

  Igboho, an Oyo indigene, has been a prominent figure in the recent tensions between herders and the local community in the Ibarapa area of Oyo State.

  He had issued a quit notice to the herders over allegations of kidnappings, killings, rape, and other violent activities.

  The ultimatum expired last week and Igboho held a massive rally in the community after which some houses and properties in the herder’s settlements were torched, according to the police.

  It will be recalled that South-West leaders met with the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) yesterday to find lasting solutions to the incessant killings, kidnapping, and crises between herdsmen and farmers in the southwest geo-political zone of the country.” 

  After the meeting, all parties agreed to ban night grazing and under-age herding.

  The illegal occupation of State Forest Reserves was also condemned at the meeting.

Speaking after the house went up in flames today, Igboho said property worth N50 million has been lost to the inferno.

  According to him, “the arsonists broke the gate to the building to gain entrance before setting the house on fire.”

  He added that the two people living in the house fled for their lives in the chaos.

  Igboho also stressed that he was not a political thug available for hire.