BREAKING: Fulani herdsmen kill 65yr-old farmer in Oriire LG for refusing their cows eat his cassava plants

Image caption: The deceased, Kehinde Joseph Ojo

BREAKING: Fulani herdsmen kill 65yr-old farmer in Oriire LG for refusing their cows eat his cassava plants

Khalid ABRAHAM

A 65year-old farmer, identified as Kehinde Joseph Ojo, was brutally murdered Sunday by Fulani herdsmen who demanded he allowed their cattle herd graze his cassava farm.

According to the younger brother of the deceased, Idowu Simeon Ojo, the incident occurred at Igbopupa in Yawota near Alawusa, Oriire local government area of Oyo state. He disclosed late Pa Kehinde Ojo went to the farm at about 4pm to inspect his cassava farm.

“My brother was alone, in fact, we together in the church in the morning and we planned to meet later in the day. While in the farm, the Fulani herdsmen arrived and said they wanted to graze their cows in the farm. Naturally, he refused and instead of them retreating, they started to chase him brandishing swords. He headed towards the village but before people could come to his rescue he was caught up by his assailants who attacked him brutally. People came to me that ‘your brother had been macheted to death by Fulani herdsmen.’ We quickly took him to a hospital in Ogbomoso, where he gave up the ghost at about 2am today.”

He meanwhile informed ogbomosoinsightonline.com that three of the suspects had been arrested by the people in the village and handed over to the police at Ikoyi-Ile, headquarters of Oriire local government. This was confirmed by sources at the divisional headquarters.

He added that another suspect had been apprehended.

The deceased was survived by wife and children.

Ogbomoso Insight learned that a similar thing was recorded about a month ago in the area, making it become a recurring incident.

Mr. Simeon Ojo identified some villagers as working in cahoots with the herdsmen “as some of them own cattle herds put in the care of the Fulani herders. These ones specifically are Daniel and Sunday. They are now boasting we can’t do anything to them.”

The family had also reported the matter at the Soun Palace in Ogbomoso though they didn’t meet the monarch, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III.