Ola Akinwunmi
Tensions have escalated in Ondo State as residents took to the streets to protest the recent killing of five farmers by suspected herdsmen in the Ajegunle-Powerline community of Akure North Local Government Area.
The victims, laborers from Plateau and Kaduna states, were reportedly attacked while working on farmlands on a Tuesday afternoon.
Eyewitnesses recounted that the assailants invaded the farmlands around 3:00 p.m., opening fire indiscriminately. Akin Olowolafe, a farmer present during the incident, described the attack as unprovoked and highlighted that such invasions have become distressingly frequent.
“This is how they usually come to disturb and destroy our crops. We have reported them to the state government and even to the security agencies, but no positive actions were taken,” Olowolafe lamented.
He further noted that many farmers have abandoned their lands due to fear of such attacks.
In response to the killings, hundreds of women marched through Akure, the state capital, expressing their outrage over the deteriorating security situation. Chanting solidarity songs and bearing leaves, the protesters demanded immediate action from the government to protect their communities.
Mrs. Oluwatoyin Arowosafe, speaking on behalf of the demonstrators, urged Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to intervene urgently.
“We want to call on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to come to our rescue. Our men have been kidnapped since last Tuesday, and the kidnappers are demanding N100 million to release them, which we cannot afford,” she said.
The Ondo State Police Command has confirmed the attack and stated that investigations are ongoing. However, the exact number of casualties has not been officially verified. The police spokesperson, CSP Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, acknowledged the incident, saying,
“There was an attack on the community, and the police are still investigating. But I cannot confirm the number of people that were killed.”
This tragic event confirms the escalating tensions between local farmers and herdsmen in the region, prompting urgent calls for enhanced security measures to protect vulnerable rural communities.
