Fayemi decries bloody herdsmen-farmers clash in Ekiti

Zacheaus Somorin

Gov. Kayode Fayemi on Wednesday condemned the death of two persons which followed alleged invasion of farmlands by some suspected Fulani herdsmen in Iyemero Ekiti community, in Ikole Local Government Area of Ekiti.

The governor, represented by the new State Commissioner for Information, Mr Muyiwa Olumilua, gave the condemnation during a condolence visit to the town.

The governor said his government would do everything within its powers to prevent similar occurence in furure.

He also assured that every necessary step would be taken to nab the killers and bring them to justice.

Fayemi said government would pay the hospital bills of the victims.

”We sympathise with you, because lives of Ekiti people are precious to us in this government

“As part of the ways to arrest this situation, the governor has begun the construction of a police post in Iyemero.

“We are assuring you that something like this won’t happen again,” the governor said.

“The governor knows that there is loss of lives and that is why we are here to commiserate with the town.”

“But in spite of this provocative attack, they should remain calm and be law abiding, particularly the farmers

”What we are told is that it was an armed robbery issue, according to findings and reports but whatever dimension or form, it must have emerged , we are prepared to tackle it,” he assured.

This is coming just as the traditional ruler of the town, Olu of Iyemero, Oba Ebenezer Ogungbemi, frowned at an alleged twist in the police report of the incidence described as mere armed robbery where no one died.

The monarch insisted that two of his subjects actually died in the attack allegedly carried out by the suspected herders, in a farmstead under the town .

The monarch dismissed the claim by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Asuquo Amba, earlier in the day, that preliminary reports indicated that what hapened was robbery.

Some suspected herders on Monday allegedly invaded a farmstead called Eda, in Iyemero Ekiti , and shot a seven-year-old boy during a raid and a couple, after which the husband later died in the hospital.

But the town’s monarch insisted that two persons were killed while receiving the delegation sent by the governor to commiserate with the town.

Oba Ogungbemi said the victims told him that herders who had been having a running battle with the farmers perpetrated the dastardly act.

“They invaded the community at midnight and shot dead a seven-year-old boy.

”They also shot a couple in the other house and the husband has died after they were rushed to the Ikole general hospital and the bullets could not be extracted from his body early enough.

“They have removed the bullets from the body of the wife and she has been referred to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido Ekiti for treatment.

” What we know is that, they escaped through the Ikole-Itapaji-Iyemero-Eruku route to Kwara after their nefarious act, it is a fact that we have a porous border.

”My people should be on alert and we are already mobilising the local hunters to work with the security agencies to tame the perpetrators,” the traditional ruler said.

Oba Ogungbemi restated his calls for the establishment of a police station in the town to curb such activities.

“The correct information now is that, two people had died. People can’t go to their camp, because they are afraid.

”About 60 of them have been displaced and they are here in my palace till today(Wednesday) before they left,” he said.