Three herdsmen arrested for allegedly killing farmer in Ogun

The Ogun State Police Command on Monday arrested three herdsmen suspected to have killed a 40-year-old farmer, Rafiu Sowemimo in Odeda Local Government Area of the state.

Sowemimo was allegedly killed after challenging the herdsmen for allowing their cows destroy his crops on Sunday. He was said to have been stabbed to death after an altercation.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who disclosed this in a statement in Abeokuta on Monday, gave the names of the suspects as Muhammed Adamu, Saliu Ismail and Saliu Adam.

Oyeyemi said: “The arrest of the suspects followed a distress call by people of Adao Village in Alabata area of Odeda Local Government Area that some herdsmen while grazing their cattle entered the farm of one Rafiu Sowemimo and destroyed some of his crops.

“The victim thereafter accosted the herders and challenged them to know the reason behind their destructive action. This led to an altercation between him and the herders, consequent upon which the herdsmen stabbed him to death.

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“On receiving the information, the Commissioner of Police, CP Bashir Makama directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in-charge of Operations and that of State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department to move to the scene and ensure that the culprits were brought to book.

“In compliance with the CP’s directive, the officers led other policemen to the scene and with information from the natives; they were able to arrest the three herders who perpetrated the heinous crime”.

According to Oyeyemi, the Commissioner of Police had visited the village to commiserate with the family of the victim and also ordered the transfer of the suspects to the homicide section of the State CIID for proper investigation and prosecution.

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