The Akoko area of Ondo State was plunged into grief again as yet another farmer was brutally murdered in his field, adding to the mounting toll of victims in the region.
This latest tragedy unfolded on Tuesday in Ifira Akoko, Akoko South-East Local Government Area, as the town grapples with the terror of herdsmen’s attacks.
This horrific incident comes on the heels of another killing last week, when 36-year-old Sunday Ayeni was similarly slain on his farm in Uba Oka, Akoko South-West Local Government Area.
The victim, 18-year-old Joshua Gbolahan from Odoro Quarters, Ifira, met a gruesome end at his farm in Ogudu Farm Settlement.
His lifeless body was discovered after he was allegedly macheted to death by unknown assailants suspected to be herdsmen.
Eyewitnesses report that Gbolahan’s body was later recovered by the police at Isua Akoko and transferred to the morgue at Ipe Akoko General Hospital.
As of the time of filing this report, a joint team of police officers and Amotekun operatives were still scouring the surrounding forest in search of the killers.
The community has been left reeling, with farmers fearing for their lives as they confront the persistent threat of herdsmen attacks.
Traditional rulers and community leaders in the area have convened emergency meetings to address the escalating violence.
The Owa of Ogbagi Akoko, His Royal Majesty, Oba Victor Adetona Olasehinde, who also chairs the Akoko Divisional Council of Obas, has decried the killings as “callous, wicked, and unacceptable.”
He lamented that the unchecked activities of the herdsmen are driving farmers away from their fields, jeopardising the region’s status as a critical food basket for the state.
Oba Adetona has urgently called on the government and security agencies to step up their efforts to restore peace and security in Akoko, warning that the continued neglect of the situation could have dire consequences for the community and beyond. The Hope
