Armed individuals, believed to be herders, have reportedly assaulted four communities within the Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, resulting in the deaths of more than 20 farmers.
The fatal assaults occurred at midnight over the weekend, affecting the areas of Aba Pastor, Aba Sunday, Ademekun camp, and Aba Alajido camps located in Ala Elefosan.
According to Channels Television, a local resident from one of the affected communities mentioned that fourteen bodies had been retrieved in the past two days, and some individuals from the community were still unaccounted for.
The Regent of one of the targeted communities, Ademekun camp – Adelowo Adekemisola – expressed sorrow over the loss of fourteen farmers in the region due to the attackers.
Adekemisola stated that the assailants invaded the communities in the dead of night through the border with Edo State, opening fire indiscriminately.
Confirming the tragic incident, the Public Relations Officer for the Ondo State Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami, noted that the police, along with other security forces, have promptly initiated efforts to capture the killers and enhance security for agricultural communities in the Akure North Local Government Area.
However, as of the time this report was published, the Ondo State Government had not yet issued any official statement regarding the incident.
The event is the latest in a troubling trend of assaults on farmers in Nigeria. Similar occurrences have been reported nationwide, particularly in the northern regions, where gangs have become increasingly dominant.
In January, numerous farmers lost their lives in the North-Eastern state of Borno when armed men gathered them in Dumba near Lake Chad and opened fire.
As the country grapples with increasing food insecurity and inflation, experts warn that such attacks on farmers may exacerbate the food crisis confronting one of Africa’s economic leaders.
