When herdsmen, penultimate week, struck again in Ileyo community in Akure North local Government Area of Ondo State, killing a farmer, it sparked off protests. HAKEEM GBADAMOSI captures the experiences of the people, and their grievances.
The unchecked activities of herdsmen in Ondo State took a tragic dimension penultimate week, as herdsmen invaded a farmland in Ileyo community in Akure North Local Government Area of the state, killing a farmer, Linus Ogbeh, in his farm.
The gruesome killing of 64-year-old Ogbeh, a father of seven, sparked off protests by farmers and residents of the community, as they insisted that justice must prevail and an end put to the atrocities of herdsmen.
The residents, in their hundreds, carrying placards and displaying green leaves, trooped to the streets to condemn the killing of Ogbeh, whom they described as easy going. They also lamented destruction of their farmlands by herdsmen, who were said to be searching for their lost cows.
The death of Ogbeh by the herdsmen was sequel to the invasion of the farm of the former Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), Chief Olu Falae, which led to the exchange of gunshots between the security operatives drafted to the farm and the herdsmen.
The herdsmen, said to have lost some of their cows in the gun duel, ran for safety and came back looking for their lost cows. It was during their search, they were said to have met Ogbeh, who was on his farm early that day to get cocoyam for his family.
Ogbeh, a native of Ebonyi, who had been living in the community for more than 30 years, was found dead on his farm, his body riddled with bullets, while his family awaited his return for their breakfast before going to church.
After waiting till 10am, his wife, Roseline, decided to leave with two of her children to find out what had kept her husband on the farm, only to discover his lifeless body, with some tubers of cocoyam beside him.
Giving the account of her husband’s death, the 54-year-old wife of the deceased, explained that her husband headed to the farm that fateful morning because the children failed to inform him that the cocoyam he brought from the farm few days ago had been consumed by them.
She appealed to the state government to come to her aid with the education of the children, saying that only two of the seven children left behind by Ogbeh had completed their secondary school, envisaging that being the bread winner of the family would not be easy. She also appealed to government to bring to justice her husband’s killers.
Also speaking, the younger brother to the deceased, Nicodemus Ogbeh, lamented that the burden before the family was how to take his corpse back to Ebonyi State, and to inform his father, who was more than 100 years old of the death of his son. He also called on the security operatives to bring to book the killers of his brother, while he called on the state government to help take care of his family.
The Baale of the conmunity, Chief Ogunleye Taiwo, expressed fears over the safety of lives of the residents of the agrarian community, saying the people living in the community, who are mostly non-indigenes comprising the Igbo, Agatu, Ebira, Langtang farmers, have been living in fear.
Corroborating Chief Ogunleye, the traditional ruler of lgbatoro, the Olu of lgbatoro, Oba Adanri Akinsehinde, lamented the death of Ogbeh.
Oba Akinsehinde said that fear had gripped the people of the community, as the herdsmen were still around, and this had prevented the people, who were predominantly farmers, from gaining access to their farmlands.
Oba Akinsehinde called on security operatives in the state to help fish and flush out the criminals who had been preventing the people from going to farms and also destroying their farmlands.
Also speaking, the President, Coalition of Non Indigenes Associations and Chairman Agatu Farmers Association, Vincent Adonyi, noted that herdsmen had become a menace and a threat to food security and expressed the need for prompt action.
He however expressed optimism that the killers of Ogbeh would be brought to book.
Confirming the death of Ogbeh, the state Police spokesman, Femi Joseph, said detectives from the command had commenced investigation into the killing of the farmer, noting that an autopsy would be carried to reveal the actual cause of his death.
Meanwhile, the state Police Commissioner, Hilda Harrison, deployed more policemen to the community for protection, with about 20 policemen noticed parading the community
It would be recalled that some herdsmen invaded the farm of Falae, kidnapping him on his 77th birthday, but he was freed after paying ransom. However, a few weeks after Falae’s release, herdsmen struck again, killing one of his guards, Ayodele lge, who was a member of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC).
The coordinator of OPC, Comrade Ogunsanya Pius, in a statement had said: ‘’The killing has once again brought to the fore the danger posed by herdsmen to their peace-loving host communities. It is particularly worrisome that these people have continued their killing spree across the country without any major condemnation by the Federal Government.
“Let it be known that we have taken this path of peace, not because of cowardice or because of the fear of these people. We want a peaceful, equitable and united Nigeria, which is the pillar of our struggle.”
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