A lawyer named Femi Aborisade has filed a suit against Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and President Muhammadu Buhari over the alleged killings and abductions in Ibarapa local government area of the Oyo State.
The suit, with number FHC/IB/CS/17/2, was filed on Wednesday on behalf of the applicant by Falana and Falana Chambers at the federal high court in Ibadan.
Also listed as respondents in the suit are the Oyo Police Commissioner, Mrs Ngozi Onadeko and the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN)
Citing the reasons for the suit, Aborisade in an affidavit, said he and the residents of the communities have been subjected to untold violent attacks by armed kidnappers and bandits consistently, particularly in the last three years resulting to the death of several persons, while many others have been shot by the assailants.
“Owing to several violent attacks by armed kidnappers and bandits, I have not been able to visit members of my family living in Itasa in Iwajowa LGA for the past one year,” he said.
“Scores of women and girls have been abducted and raped by the armed gangs and bandits in the aforementioned LGAs making up Ibarapa and Oke-Ogun geographical areas of Oyo state.
“The police stations in the said LGAs of Oyo state have failed or refused to arrest and prosecute the members of the armed gangs terrorising law-abiding persons.”
The lawyer consequently sought “an order directing the respondents to arrest, investigate and prosecute suspected armed herders, suspected armed robbers and suspected kidnappers who commit criminal trespass, rape, murder, armed robbery, kidnapping and other criminal offences in Ibarapa Central, Ibarapa East, Ibarapa North, including Igangan, Atisbo, Irepo, Iseyin, Itesiwaju, Iwajowa, Kajola, Oorelope, Olorunsogo, Saki east and Saki west LGAs of Oyo state”.
The suit further sought “an order directing the respondents to adopt adequate measures to ensure the protection of the life and property of every person” in the areas.
Aborisade also asked to court to direct the respondents “to establish conflict resolution committees among the various communities” in the affected areas listed in the suit.
