Police arrest farmer for killing Fulani herdsman in Ondo

MEN of the Ondo State Police command have arrested a farmer, Ajayi Bayode, who was alleged to have killed a herdsman, identified as Abubakar Alidu

The Police Public Relations Officers (PPRO) Femi Joseph, who confirmed the arrest of Bayode said the ugly incident happened on Saturday in a farm at Arigidi Akoko in the Akoko North West Local Government Area of the state.

A source within the town explained that the suspect met the Fulani herdsmen and their cows on his farm and was irked by the destruction on his farm which led to an argument between Bayode and the two herdsmen.

He said the argument led to a fight between the suspect and the two herdsmen who attacked and cut the suspect with a cutlass, while the suspect also brought out his gun and killed one of the herdsmen.

However, Joseph confirmed that Bayode was rushed to the hospital where he is currently receiving treatment at the State Specialist Hospital, Ikare Akoko, and the suspect would be charged to court for murder.

According to the PPRO, the investigation revealed that the Fulani herdsman was killed by Bayode and the suspect had confessed to having committed the offence.

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Joseph said, ” He (suspect) told us that the deceased beat him with a stick while he was complaining to the herdsmen that they had destroyed the crops on his farm.

” He also told us that he did not intend to kill the deceased, that he brought out the gun to scare the Fulani man and his friend but the bullet mistaken hit and killed the deceased.

“This is a pure case of murder. Even if the deceased had used a stick to beat him, he has no justification to shoot him and kill the man”

He said the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Gbenga Adeyanju has ordered that the case should be transferred to the Criminal Investigative Department of the command, adding that the suspect would be charged to court as soon as he left the hospital.