Angry protesters on Wednesday shut the Ondo State Governor’s Office at Alagbaka, Akure, the state capital over the killing of another five farmers by armed herdsmen at Aba Oyinbo in Akure North local government area of the state.
LEADERSHIP learnt that the marauding herdsmen shot the deceased dead in another invasion in the early hours of Wednesday.
Not pleased by the disposition of the state government to the incessant killings, the angry protesters stormed the governor’s office to display the bodies of the casualties of the invasion.
The protest left commuters and motorists on Akure/Owo Road stranded as the protesters barricaded all the access roads in the area.
The armed herdsmen had about a fortnight ago killed 20 farmers in four farm settlements in the same local government.
Armed with placards bearing various inscriptions, the angry protesters expressed concern that the criminals were having a field day despite the security personnel’s efforts.
Led by the Regent of Ademekun Community, Kemisola Adelowo, appealed to the concerned authorities to aid and tackle rising insecurity in the state.
While confirming that four farmers in the community were killed on Wednesday by gunmen, they said the situation prevented others from accessing their farmlands.
She, however, urged the government to do everything possible to ensure that the perpetrators were brought to justice and that farmers could access their farmlands.
Addressing the protesters at the Governor’s office’s entrance, the state’s Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami, directed the state Amotekun Corps to immediately establish security posts in communities under attacks by suspected herdsmen.
Adelami who also directed the Amotekun Corps to immediately deploy a patrol team to the affected areas to forestall further attack, appealed to the protesters to return to their communities and await further solutions from the state government.
The Deputy Governor said, “Ondo State is one of the most peaceful states in Nigeria, but we now see that they want to change the story for us. Last week, the governor met with the security heads. We cannot disclose the security plans to ensure the state’s peace.
Earlier, the state Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, assured the protesters that the police were working tirelessly to apprehend the criminals causing unrest in the state.
Afolabi emphasized that the police would not allow miscreants to take the law into their hands, stressing the commitment of the police to maintaining law and order in the state.
