Your Excellency Sir,

Undoubtely, it is to early to start bothering you with nasty issues like the one I am trying to xtray. This is shortly after your re- election exercise.

However, I found alibi in doing so, because your election is a continuity in admimistering the state.

Sir, the conflcts between herdsmen and the natives are not new. It is a common scene in many parts of the country and Kwara state in particular. While not underrating such occurences in other parts of the state, I want to say without any reservations that their occurences in Igbomina/ Ekitiland are becoming unbearable. The style of investigations by the Police where such happened are more worrisome and the emphasis of this write up.

Sometimes in 2009, series of crises involving these herdsmen and the natives of Igbaja people were reported. Amongst these were but not limited to rape, mischief, assaults and armed robbery cases mostly against the herdsmen. Suffice to add that in 2004, these hoodlums had plucked two eyes of a young school boy in his father' s farm at Ilupeju- Igbaja on the excuse that the boy refused to assist in locating their alleged missing cattle. Arrests n detention were made only to find out that the suspects were later released without prosecution by the state.

In the cases of armed robberies reported and incidented by the Police in Igbaja sometimes in June 2009, instead of concluding their investigations, a special squad allegedly from cornered the cases and swoop on the vigilantees. The nine villangeees had three months detention at Karashi Police Station in Abuja. The efforts of Bar Akogun Oyedepo and Igbomina leaders in Abuja saw to their return to Ilorin Prison before an Ilorin Magistrate Court terminated the matter.

Similar scenario is playing at Oroagor in Ifelodun LGA, where six villagees were 'abducted' yestetday from the town and whisked to an Abuja detention over the recent clash bwtn the natives n Bororo herdsmen.

The contention is why Abuja? Is Kwara State Police Command not competent to handle issues involving these herdsmen? Sir, we are not asking for favours but we want fairness, equity and justice.

We demand that our people be returnd to Kwara state within 48 hrs and be formally treated according to the rule of Law.

Thanks Sir,

Truly Yours,

Olaitan Oyin Zubair
For And On Behalf Of Igbomina Self Determination Group.