The Ondo State Police Command on Monday evening said only one person lost his life when some suspected criminals attacked some communities in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Earlier, the residents of the Power Line, Ago Oyinbo and Ala Reserves Communities in the LGA had alleged that some herdsmen invaded their communities on Friday and Saturday, destroying their farms and injuring no fewer than eight farmers.
The Public Relations Officer for the state police command, Mrs Funmi Odunlami, in a statement said a report of the attack was made at the police station and that one 50-year-old Olaoluwa Olorunfemi was macheted to death by the invaders.
However, she did not confirm whether the hoodlums were herdsmen.
She said,
“On 22/04/2023, at about 1720hrs, a case of murder was reported at Ala Police station that while people were working at a farm at Ifeloduro Camp Forest Reserve via Ala, some men numbering about four came to the camp and collected their phones and also matcheted, one Mr Olaoluwa Toyinbo Olorunfemi ‘m’ aged 50yrs of Ifeloduro hut Oguniyi Camp Igbatoro Road via Ala, all over his body and he gave up the ghost on the spot.
“The police in the company of the deceased family visited the scene of the crime and the corpse was evacuated.”
Speaking on the development, in Akure, the state capital, one of the farmers, Mr Samuel Olowolafe, said the herdsmen have continued to wreak havoc on the people of the community without any resistance.
Olowolafe noted that the farmers had lost property worth millions of naira to the attack of the herdsmen
He said,
“What really happened to us at the weekend was that these Fulani herdsmen wanted to take over our farmlands, they came with their guns and other dangerous weapons to attack us at the midnight and cart away our properties, like phones, and foodstuffs among other.
“They perpetuated their devil act at midnight. We are calling on the state government and the security agencies again to please come to our aid, our lives are in danger, government should please provide adequate security for us at Powerline and Ago-Oyinbo at Ala Forest Reserve.”
“He added that herdsmen were already planning to take over the community by driving residents away from their homes saying, “We need government attention seriously.”
