Suspected herdsmen kill 2 farmers in Edo

Tragedy has struck in Owan community of Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, where suspected herdsmen reportedly attacked and killed two persons identified as Owoh, 45, and Samuel Imonkhai.

Owoh, a palm wine tapper, was said to have been shot where he was tapping palm in the farm, while the other victim, Samuel Imonkhai, was brutally murdered in his farm by the suspected herders.

Following the killings, residents of Owan, Agbanikaka, Uhiere, Odiguetie and Odighi communities in Uhiere Ward of Ovia North East Local Government Area, sent a ‘Save-Our-Soul’ message to the Edo State government wherein they appealed to Governor Godwin Obaseki and security agencies to come to their rescue and end the incessant and unprovoked killings by suspected herdsmen in their communities.
The Odionwere of Owan Community Pa Ifiabor Michael told journalists that the Owan communities have been under siege from suspected herdsmen who have ravaged their farmlands and embarked on a killing spree of the inhabitants.

He said no fewer than eight persons, predominantly farmers, have been killed across the communities since the beginning of February this year.

“Just yesterday, two indigenes of Owan village, a palm wine tapper named Owoh and aged 45 was shot straight at by the bandits where he was tapping his palm while another man named Samuel Imonkhai was brutally murdered by this same bandits,” he said.

Another resident who didn’t want his name in print, said all effort by the inhabitants of the communities to draw government attention to their plight have not received any attention.

He added that Owan community had become a flashpoint for herders as according to him, recently a policeman was killed while another policeman and several other indigenes of the community, notably vigilance members, sustained various degrees of bullet injuries from an ambush when they attempted to go to the bush to retrieve the body of a member of the community who was also killed in the farm by the herdsmen.
Effort to get police reaction failed as calls put to the mobile phone of the spokesman for Edo State police command, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor, were not responded to.
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