Gunmen suspected to be criminal herdsmen have reportedly killed seven persons including farmers in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
It was gathered that the killings happened at Ugboke, Oshodi, Okokodo, Ariyan and Yoruba camp which are majorly farming communities in the local government area.
An indigene of the area, Mrs. Janet Ighodaro said Thursday that the incident happened on Wednesday, adding that the suspected herdsmen took over the popularly known Yoruba camp located in “Ovia North-east as a base to launch attacks into various communities in our state.”
Ighodaro said she was lucky to have escaped stray bullets during the attacks and that she ran for safety to take refuge with her family in Benin city.
She said four of the victims were returning from their farm when they were shot and killed on the spot.
Ighodaro lamented absence of security in the farming communities, adding that when the police were contacted, they stopped at a neibghouring community-Okhokhua and insisted that they would not go further into the bushes.
She added that they requested that the villagers should bring the dead bodies to them in their location.
She therefore called on security agents to come to their rescue as a matter of urgency.
When contacted on phone, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Edo State Police Command, Chidi Nwabuzor (SP), confirmed the incident and said all efforts were being made to arrest the perpetrators.
He said, “The State Police Command is aware of the incident that happened eithin the jurisdiction of Ekhiadolor Divisional Police Command. The DPO and his operatives, visited the crime site and evacuated the bodies and moves are on to ensure that the place is calm and lives return to normalcy.
“Also, the Police is carrying out its investigation to effect the arrest of the criminal herdsmen who perpetuated the dastardly acts. The command is bent on using every legal means to fish out the criminals,” Nwabuzor added.