Armed men identified in a viral video as Fulani gunmen have abducted and brutalised members of the Iru Ekun group in Bani community, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State, tying their hands behind their backs and interrogating them over their association with the group.
In the video obtained by ChroniclesReporters, several men were seen with their hands tied behind their backs as their captors questioned them in Yoruba, accusing them of disregarding previous warnings against associating with or welcoming members of Iru Ekun into the community.
One of the armed men said residents had repeatedly been warned against receiving members of the group in Bani, demanding explanations from the abducted individuals about their identities, affiliations and involvement with Iru Ekun.
During the interrogation, one of the captors asked a man to introduce himself.
“My name is Yusuf Alagbere. I was invited. I’m a hunter,” the man replied.
When asked who had invited him, Yusuf said, “It was Elere boys that called me.”
Another abducted man, who identified himself as Jelili Alagbere, was asked which group he belonged to.
“Iru Ekun,” he responded.
The armed man confronted him, asking, “Didn’t we tell you that we don’t want Iru Ekun in Bani?”
Jelili, who was wearing an Iru Ekun-branded T-shirt, replied that he was unaware of the warning.
The captor subsequently questioned the men about why they had fled when they saw the armed group.
“Are you not men? Why are you people running away when you saw us?” he asked.
Another abducted individual was then ordered to look up and state his name.
“My name is Rafiu,” he replied.
When asked whose son he was, Rafiu answered, “Omo Elere.”
The captor questioned whether he belonged to Iru Ekun and demanded to know why he was not responding to the questions.
Rafiu reportedly explained that he had been coming from home when he was abducted.
The video also showed an elderly man with his hands tied behind his back being interrogated about what had brought the men together and whether he intended to continue associating with Iru Ekun.
The elderly man denied belonging to the group, challenging his captor to identify any occasion on which he had been seen with its members.
“Did you see me with them before? I’m not a member of Iru Ekun,” he said.
Towards the end of the video, the armed men turned the camera towards the abducted individuals and asked whether they would continue participating in Iru Ekun activities.
The men were heard responding in the negative, saying they would no longer associate with the group.
The circumstances surrounding the abduction, the identities of the armed men and the whereabouts of the abducted individuals after the incident were not established in the video.
The incident comes amid previous tensions involving Fulani residents in Bani and Yoruba nation agitator Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, over allegations concerning criminality and the presence of Fulani residents in parts of Kwara State.
In a previous report, ChroniclesReporters reported that a Fulani man from Bani had threatened Igboho, warning that he would not return home alive if he entered the community to chase Fulani residents away.
The threat was contained in a video in which the man, dressed in traditional attire and seated on a motorcycle in what appeared to be a bushy area, spoke in Yoruba while directing insults and warnings at Igboho.
The man accused Igboho of mentioning the name of Bani’s traditional ruler and warned him against treating the community as though he could act without consequences.
Addressing Igboho directly, the man said, “Today, I want to talk to Sunday Igboho, and I want this video to reach him.
“Igboho, let me tell you this. I swear to God, I heard that you mentioned the name of the traditional ruler of Bani. You should be very careful. The monarch is not your mate. Bani is not like Igangan. We, the people of Bani, are not scared of you. You are just a kid.”
The man also defended the Fulani population in Bani against allegations of criminality, insisting that Fulani residents in the community were not bandits but people engaged in legitimate economic activities.
He specifically identified mining as a source of livelihood for some residents and argued that the Fulani population should not be collectively associated with criminal activities.
“We Fulani in Bani are not bandits. Call Yoruba people in Bani and ask them whether the Fulani in Bani are bandits,” he said.
“We are looking for money through legitimate means. The mining you are seeing is where we are getting our money from. Anyone who wants to become a bandit will not go into mining.”
The man subsequently issued a direct warning to Igboho against entering Bani, insisting that the community would not tolerate his presence.
“If you dare set foot in Bani, you will not go home safely, I swear to God,” he said.
“Who are you? Bani is not like Igangan. Once you dare come to Igbeti and dare to enter Bani, you will not go home safely.
“Are we bandits? How many bandits have they arrested in Bani? You are mentioning the name of the Bani monarch. Was it the monarch that killed your father or your mother?”
He further mocked Igboho, claiming that the community was willing to provide him with transport fare if he intended to visit, while insisting that Fulani residents in Bani were not intimidated by his reputation.
“We will send you transport money to come over. Are you a soldier or what? We Fulani from Bani are not scared of you,” he said.
“You are killing fake Fulani; you cannot kill original Fulani.”
The latest video has raised concerns over the use of force against individuals accused of associating with a particular group in the community. The abducted men were seen with their hands tied behind their backs as their captors interrogated them and demanded that they renounce further participation in Iru Ekun activities.
However, the claims made by the armed men and the circumstances surrounding the incident could not be independently verified from the video. No official statement from security agencies or the Kwara State Government was included in the available account.