Priscilla Ofunre, Ado Ekiti
There was pandemonium in Iyemero-Ekiti, in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti State, in the early hours of Monday, when suspected herders unleashed mayhem in the community.
Two people reportedly lost their lives while three other persons were seriously injured during the attack with many displaced from their residences by the attackers.
Some eyewitnesses, who identified one of the dead as Mr. Danjuma Ali, a Muslim farmer, said the identity of the second person, whose body had been deposited in the morgue of the General Hospital, Ikole Ekiti, was still unknown as at the time of filing this report.
Those undergoing medicare at the emergency section of the Federal Teaching Hospital(FETHI), Ido-Ekiti included, Mrs. Jennifer Akoko, Mr. Joseph Achebe and one other victim.
The source said: “It has happened again today; it has been a recurrent killing. Some herders called Bororo stormed the farmstead and shot these innocent people.
“They came around 1am and were there till dawn. Our farmers are all afraid to go their farmsteads.
READ ALSO: Nigerian birth registration figure hits 29m
“They all rushed to the palace of Oba Ebenezer Agboola Ogungbemi, the Olu of Iyemero-Ekiti to take refuge.
“We are mourning today at Iyemero. We are not happy about this incident and the government must do something about it,” the source said.
The Olu of Iyemero, Oba Ogungbemi and the Olu-in-Council, restated their calls for the establishment of a police station in the town to curb incursion of unscrupulous elements into the community
The monarch, who spoke through the palace spokesman, Chief Ariyo Abejide said, there was urgent need for the teeming population of farmers in this farmstead to be protected and secured by the security agencies from another seemingly and imminent attacks and onslaught from the marauders.
“These Fulani herders stormed the community through the border of Iyemero at Eruku in kwara state.
“This makes Iyemero a porous exit and entry, which portend dangers and insecurity to the community, Ikole local government and the state in general”.
Oba Ogungbemi urged the residents to be peaceful and called for immediate intervention of the state government in this regard.
Also, the head of security and community vigilance group, Chief Jimoh Eshikin, called on the state government to empower the village hunters, in order to assist the security agents in effective security surveillance and patrol.
When The Nigerian Xpress called the state’s Police Public Relations Officer, Ekiti State Command, DSP Caleb Ikechukwu, he said he has not been informed about the incident.
