Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen attacked a farm settlement in the Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, killing four farmers in the early hours of Tuesday.
New Telegraph reports that Akure North has been a hotspot for herder-related violence, with reports of over 20 farmers being killed in a single day.
Additionally, five farmers were killed at ‘Aba Oyinbo’ in a rural area, which led to a heavy protest at the Governor’s Office, where the corpses were displayed.
The latest killings sparked another round of protests as farmers from the rural community stormed the Governor’s office in Akure, the State capital, to express their outrage over the repeated murders of their members.
The protesters said the Farmers were killed in the Thirteen-Thirteen farming settlement in the Ajagbusi area of Ala Elefosan in the Akure North Local Government Area while on their way to the Farm.
The Youths of the community, in large numbers, carried the remains of the slain farmers, without coffins, to the State secretariat in Alagbaka, the State capital.
The protesters, who wore grim expressions, shut down and barricaded the roundabout intersection leading to the Governor’s Office and the Federal secretariat, causing traffic disruptions and leaving commuters and motorists stranded.
The Protesters, mostly youths, barricaded the roads leading to the seat of power in the State for several hours, chanting anti-government slogans.
To highlight the severity of their plight, the Protesters placed the bodies of the farmers, shot dead by the herders, on the ground as barricades at the roundabout leading to the Governor’s Office on Igbatoro Road, Alagbaka, Akure.
Expressing frustration over the government’s failure to end the recurring attacks and killings by herders, the traditional ruler of the Adeshina Community, Taiwo Samuel, described the incident as one too many.
He said, “Three farmers were killed in the Thirteen camp in the Ajagbusi area of Ala Elefosan in Akure North Local Government Area. They were on their way to the farm this morning (Tuesday) when the Fulani herdsmen attacked them and shot them. One person was also killed two days ago.”
He added, “We purposely brought their bodies to Alagbaka for everyone to see what we are facing and to prevent any form of denial, which we have experienced in the past.
“The killing of our people by these herdsmen is becoming too much. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa promised us that the area would be fully secured after the last incident. With this latest development, the government must allow us to secure ourselves.”
“It is disheartening that the government continues to allow these killings to go on. What we are certain of is that if we defend ourselves and kill the attackers, we will be arrested and taken to Abuja.
“During the administration of the late former governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, this kind of thing was not rampant, but under the current Governor, everything has gone awry. We are tired of these continuous killings; we can no longer sleep in our communities.”
“Mr. Governor should help us and stop these killings. The people who are being killed are human beings, not goats. More than 20 farmers have been killed in the past month.”
