Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen have killed six people in attacks at Arimogija and Molege communities in Ose Local Council of Ondo State.
The victims of the attack, which was said to have gone on for about two weeks in the area, were said to be farmers and traders. Houses, cars, as well as motorcycles were set ablaze during the attack.
Guardian quoted villagers to have said the attack was triggered by the efforts of farmers to repel the destruction of their crops by those suspected to be herdsmen.
Narrating the incident, a community leader, Mr. Owolafe Folorunsho, said: “The herders have continued to invade our farmlands at night, harvest our crops to feed their cows, and on many occasions, they will come during the day and force us to uproot the cassava by ourselves at gunpoint and command us to cut them into pieces to feed their cows.
“Not to take laws into our hands, we reported this act to the appropriate authority, who took prompt action to chase them out of the farming areas, only for them to come back and attack us with AK-47s, pump action, axes, and cutlasses killing our people at night.”
He added that the gunmen had laid an ambush, attacked some traders coming from Akure, and killed all the occupants of a vehicle before taking their money and setting the car ablaze.
While lamenting the incident, the monarch of Imoru, Oba Rotimi Obamuwagun, stated that the suspected herders destroyed four hectares of cassava farm. On his part, Chairman of the Ose Local Council, Adekunle Dennis, who expressed worries over the development, emphasised that urgent measures must be taken to check the incessant attacks.
When contacted, the police public relations officer in the state, Funmilayo Odunlami, disclosed that operatives from the Command had been deployed to the affected communities.