VIDEO: Tension As Gunmen Tie Hands, Brutalise Sunday Igboho’s Iru Ekun Members, Force Them To Denounce Igboho’s Group
A viral video has shown armed men, identified by those circulating the footage as Fulani gunmen, interrogating several members of the Iru Ekun group after reportedly abducting them in Bani community, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State.
The men were seen with their hands tied behind their backs as their captors questioned them about their membership of the group and accused them of disregarding warnings against associating with Iru Ekun.
In the footage obtained by Naija News House , the armed men spoke in Yoruba and demanded that the abducted individuals explain how they became involved with the group.
One of the captors insisted that residents had previously been warned against welcoming Iru Ekun members into Bani.
Among those questioned was a man who identified himself as Yusuf Alagbere. He told the armed men that he was a hunter and had been invited.
Asked who invited him, Yusuf reportedly replied that the Elere boys had called him.
Another man, Jelili Alagbere, acknowledged that he belonged to Iru Ekun when asked about his affiliation.
The captor confronted him over his alleged involvement with the group, reminding him of the warning against Iru Ekun’s presence in the community.
Jelili, who wore a T-shirt bearing the group’s name, said he did not know about the warning.
The armed men also challenged the abducted individuals over their reaction when they encountered them, asking why they had attempted to flee.
Another man, who gave his name as Rafiu, said he had been coming from home when he was abducted.
The video further showed an elderly man being questioned while his hands remained tied behind his back.
When asked about his connection to Iru Ekun, the elderly man denied being a member and questioned whether the armed men had ever seen him with the group.
“I’m not a member of Iru Ekun,” he said.
At the end of the footage, the captors asked the men whether they intended to continue participating in Iru Ekun activities. They were heard answering in the negative.
It remains unclear from the video when the reported abduction occurred, what prompted the operation or whether the individuals were subsequently released. The identities of the armed men and their claims could not be independently verified from the footage.
Incident Follows Earlier Warning to Sunday Igboho
The development comes against the backdrop of an earlier confrontation involving a man from Bani and Yoruba nation agitator Sunday Igboho.
It was reported that a man identified as Fulani had threatened Igboho over his alleged plan to enter Bani and chase Fulani residents out of the community.
In the video, the man accused Igboho of mentioning the name of Bani’s traditional ruler and warned him against treating the community like Igangan, a town in Oyo State associated with previous security tensions involving Fulani herders and local residents.
“Bani is not like Igangan. We, the people of Bani, are not scared of you. You are just a kid,” he said.
The man defended Fulani residents of Bani, arguing that they were not bandits and that some earned their livelihoods through mining.
“We are looking for money through legitimate means. The mining you are seeing is where we are getting our money from,” he said.
He subsequently warned Igboho that he would not leave Bani safely if he entered the community.
“If you dare set foot in Bani, you will not go home safely, I swear to God,” he added.
The man also insisted that Fulani residents in the area were not afraid of Igboho and challenged allegations that they were involved in banditry.
The earlier threat and the latest footage involving alleged Iru Ekun members have drawn attention to tensions surrounding the group and the security situation in Bani.
However, no independently verified information was provided in the footage establishing a direct connection between the earlier threat and the reported abduction.
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