Tension In Akure As Farmers Protest Killings By Suspected Herdsmen

Panic gripped Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Wednesday as farmers took to the streets to protest the alleged killing of five people by suspected herdsmen in Aba Oyinbo community, Akure North Local Government Area.

According to reports, the assailants stormed the community in the early hours of the day, opening fire on residents. The attack comes less than two weeks after gunmen reportedly killed at least 14 people across four other communities—Ademekun, Aba Pastor, Aba Sunday, and Alajido—in the same local government area.

Angry protesters marched in large numbers to the Governor’s Office, chanting solidarity songs and demanding urgent action from Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to curb the ongoing attacks on farmers.

One of the protesters, identified simply as Jonah, lamented the worsening insecurity, alleging that the attackers gained access to the state through neighboring Edo.

“We are being slaughtered without anyone doing anything. Akure North is under siege. We are farmers, not criminals. We are appealing to the governor, the police, the army, and Amotekun to save us before more lives are lost,” he said.

As of the time of reporting, security operatives had been deployed to the scene to prevent a breakdown of law and order.