EDO: Protests erupt as herdsmen kill 4

The killing of four persons in Odighi and Odiguete communities in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State has sparked protests among villagers who are demonstrating against the murder of their kinsmen.

Reports say the protests was dominated by old women and youths drawn from the two communities who claim the herders have constantly invaded their farmlands, killed four farmers, destroyed crops and raped women.

Most of the demonstrators who stormed the state House of Assembly and the palace of Oba of Benin, HRM Oba Ewuare II, were armed with placards of various inscriptions on them.

Osaro Ademoyo who led the demonstrations, said the herders who have threatened to revisit them with more deadly attacks have destroyed millions of naira worth of farm produce and houses.

“We came here in respect of what is happening in our communities, Odighi and Odiguete, which are neighbours, by Fulani herdsmen. They have raped our wives and killed our farmers; taken over our land while their cattle eat our crops. Even our river has been polluted and they destroyed our huts and set them on fire.

“They bear rifles. If you see two of them rearing 40 cows, they will have two AK47 rifles. I learnt AK7 sells for about N4 million. If two people rearing about 40 cows can handle two AK47 rifles of about N8 million; it means there is government behind them.

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“The latest one is that they came and let their cows into our farms where they ate up the crops and set the farms on fire. We reported to the state police commissioner and he invited us and they questioned that they killed some herdsmen in the bush.

“We told them (police) we are not aware whether people died there or not and that the people that farm there (in the forest reserve area) are farmers as well but they are not from our communities, they came from somewhere else. The police commissioner asked us to sign an undertaking which eight of us did that we would cooperate with the Hausa/ Fulani and no longer make trouble with them.

“But since the past three or four days ago, they (police) started coming.

The protest is coming a day after an attempt to launch a fresh attack in a bid to kill score of villagers in Benue and Taraba states by a terrorist group, operating under the guise of Fulani herdsmen was uncovered by men of the Nigerian Police Force.

Reports say the police in Benue State got wind of the plot after it obtained an intelligence report which according to the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, revealed that the armed militia group had been holding clandestine meetings where plans to carry out the attack were being perfected.

 

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