Tension In Edo As Rampaging Fulani Herdsmen Go On Killing Spree

Tension In Edo As Rampaging Fulani Herdsmen Go On Killing Spree

Some suspected gunmen said to be herdsmen have killed a police officer and a farmer in Owan area of Ovia NE LGA of Edo state.

The unidentified was killed last Saturday by herdsmen.

The community called in the police to help retrieve the body but the herdsmen were said to have fired at the police and killed one of them in the process.

A brother to the farmer was also said to be hit by bullets fired by the herdsmen.

The killing made the community members block the Bénin-Akure highway to protest the killings and sought government attention to the crisis.

Motorists plying the road were stranded for several hours that the protest lasted.

One of the protesters who gave his name as Moses, said herdsmen in the bush have been killing and raping women in their community.

Moses said their crops have been destroyed by the herdsmen.

“They killed our person in the bush. We called in the police so that we can retrieve the body but they attacked again and killed a policeman. The government should come to our aid.

“Herdsmen are terrorising us. We need help so that we can go to our farms.”

Farmers at Igbanke community in Orhionmwon local government also protested destruction of the crops by herdsmen.

The farmers who protested to Bénin City said they could no longer enter their farms.

They alleged that yams, cassava and other crops were used to feed cows after which the farmlands are set ablaze by the herdsmen to enable fresh grass to grow.

An elder of Iganke, Mr. James Iguando, said,

“We are afraid. We cannot take laws into our hands. We don’t have plantain, yams and others again. We are now hungry. Herdsmen take their cows to eat our produce.