Leaders of Ifon community in Ose local government area have kicked against the invitation of their four elders by the police over an alleged killing of a cow.

The leaders said it was surprising that the police were pursuing supposed killers of cows when it was yet to unravel those who killed their traditional ruler, the Oluifon of Ifon, Oba Isreal Adeusi.

They said the leaders invited were among those temporarily holding forth following the death of their Oba.

President of the Ifon Development Union, Chief Femi Awani, who spoke at a Press briefing in Ifon said the police invitation was based on a petition by one herdsman, Abdulahi, who claimed one of his cow was killed last month.

He mentioned the leaders invited to include Chief Ekon, Chief Olijewu, Hon Saliu Omotoso, Hon Olaniyi Eni-Olotu and Chief hunter of Ifon.

Chief Awani said another petition by one Alhaji Usman prompted the police to deploy men from the FIB Tactical Command Squad to ensure the invited leaders go to Abuja to answer to the petition.

Awani noted that the thrust of the petition to the Force headquarters was not only about killing of cows but alleged criminal conspiracy, mischief threat to life and attempted kidnapping.

He said what aroused curiosity was that the content of the letter inviting the leaders was at variance with verbal narration of the policemen from Abuja.

Chief Awani appealed to the IGP, Adamu Mohammed, to investigate the authenticity of the letter which they saw as a ploy to intimidate them and forestall attempts at protecting their land.

He wondered if the petition was not a ploy to release some herders who were arrested for kidnapping around the community.

His words, “Once we are sure the letter is authentic, we will go to Abuja. We are law abiding citizens. The allegations are weighty. It is a painful thing to us. We would have been protesting but we are a peaceful people.”

The Aremo of Ifon, Adegoke Adeusi, said it was shameful that the police could not arrest killers of the Ifon monarch, but are chasing after supposed killers of a cow.

He asked: “who is to be arrested? Is it the killers of our Oba or those alleged to have killed cow?

”It is shameful. It is disgraceful. I was shocked when I heard that four of our leaders have been arrested to come and answer for the killing of a cow. It is total injustice.

“An Oba was killed and they are now talking about cow.”

In the same vein, a leader in the community, High Chief Joseph Ayayi said the place mentioned by the petitioner that the cow was killed belonged to another community.

”Where they killed the cow is not our land. They said we should go to Abuja to explain. We do not know anything about killing of cow.

”There was no fight. When they made investigation and saw that the place is not our land, they invited our hunters, but the herder could not identify them as those responsible.

“After a month later, they invited us and gave us petition forms to fill. Our names were not in the petition, but they gave us forms to fill,” he stated.