Two farmers were on Wednesday attacked and killed by suspected herdsmen at Owan village in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo state.
The two victims were identified as One Owoh aged and Samuel Imonkhai.
Owoh, until his gruesome murder was a Palm Wine tapper. He was shot by the bandits where he was tapping his palm in the farm while the other victim, Samuel Imonkhai was brutally murdered in his farm by the herders.
In a ‘Save Our Soul’ message to the Edo state government, residents of Owan, Agbanikaka, Uhiere, Odiguetie and Odighi Communities all in Uhiere Ward of Ovia North East LGA of the state appealed to Governor Godwin Obaseki and the security agencies to come to their rescue to end the incessant and unprovoked killings by suspected Herdsmen in their communities.
Speaking to journalists, the Odionwere of Owan Community, Pa Ifiabor Michael said the Owan communities have been under siege from suspected herdsmen who have not only ravaged the people’s farmland but have also embarked on a killing spree of the inhabitants.
He said a conservative estimate shows that not fewer than 8 persons predominantly farmers have been killed across these communities since the start of February 2020.
“Just yesterday, two indigenes of Owan Village, a Palm Wine tapper named Owoh and aged 45 was shot by the bandits where he was tapping his palm wine while another man named Samuel Imonkhai was brutally murdered by this same bandits on his farm,” he said.
Another local resident who did not want his name in print said all effort made by the inhabitants of these communities to draw government attention to their plight has not received any attention.
He said that Owan Community had become a flashpoint for herdsmen attack.
According to him, “recently a policeman was killed while another Policeman and several other indigenes of Owan Community notably vigilante members sustained various degrees of bullet injury from an ambush from this bandits when they attempted to go to the Bush to retrieve the Corpse of a member of the community who was killed in the farm by these herdsmen.
Several calls put across to the Edo state police command spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor over the incident proved abortive.
