A member of the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in Iju, Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, Adejuyigbe Daniel, has been killed, the police and sources have said.
The killers also reportedly kidnapped the owner of Okeji Farm Settlement, Solomon Akinmeji, also in the same area.
Sources say the abduction took place at Atoka farm area of the border town between Iju and Ikere-Ekiti in Ekiti State.
The killing is coming two weeks after the Ondo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, issued a notice to herdsmen to vacate the state’s forest reserves.
The order of the governor has not deterred the continued activities of the criminal herdsmen along the highways in spite of commitments from Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association to help check the excesses.
An Iju youth leader, Ogundeji Ayodeji, told journalists ”that the herdsmen had been terrorising the host community for a very long time through abduction for ransom as well as the killing of some of their victims”.
Mr Ogundeji said Mr Akinmeji was kidnapped on Saturday at his farm, while others managed to escape with bruises.
The police in Ondo, however, shed light into the killing saying Mr Daniel, who was an OPC member, ”was found tied to a tree and shot in the forest”.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Leo Tee-Ikoro, ”the criminals had kidnapped the farm owner and when the security operatives went after the kidnappers, the dead body of Mr Daniel was found”.
He said the police were yet to ascertain the identity of the kidnappers.
“That is what we are investigating,” he said. “We are yet to know if they are herdsmen or not.”
He said ”if the police were certain that they were herdsmen, their leaders would be approached for information”.
The state government is seeking to register all herdsmen in the state as a way to check the continued criminal activities traced to some of them.
On Tuesday, Mr Akeredolu alleged that those perpetrating crimes were Fulanis,” but who are not Nigerian citizens”.
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