…Corpses dumped on the road as residents cry for help
Pandemonium broke out in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Tuesday as angry protesters stormed major roads to express outrage over the killing of three farmers by suspected herdsmen in the Akure-Ofosu Forest Reserve.
The protesters, visibly enraged and overwhelmed with grief, caused heavy gridlock around the popular ShopRite Roundabout when they placed the lifeless bodies of the slain farmers on the road.
The chilling sight drew tears from onlookers and passers-by, with many condemning the government’s failure to protect residents from recurring attacks.
Sources revealed that the victims had travelled to Ofosu town on Monday afternoon to buy malaria drugs, only to be ambushed and brutally murdered on their way back by armed men suspected to be herders.
“This is heartbreaking. These men only went to get drugs and never returned alive. What kind of country is this?” one of the protesters lamented.
Traditional leaders from the area have also joined in the outcry. Speaking, the Olu of Odudu Community in Akure-Ofosu, Chief Sunday Ademoye, described the killings as one too many.
“We are tired. This is getting out of hand. Our people are being slaughtered like animals and nothing has been done. We are calling on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to act now before things spiral out of control,” Chief Ademoye said.
Security personnel, including policemen, were deployed to the protest ground to prevent a total breakdown of law and order.
Confirming the incident, police authorities said an investigation had commenced, urging residents to remain calm while assuring that justice would be served.
But the protesters are not backing down. They warned that continued silence from the government could lead to full-blown resistance from farming communities already battered by insecurity.
“We will not keep quiet while our people are being killed. Enough is enough,” a protester fumed.
This latest attack adds to the growing list of herdsmen-related killings that have plagued parts of Ondo State in recent years, with residents now calling for more decisive action from both the state and federal governments.
Leave a Reply