Farmer in police net for ‘killing’ herdsman

Officers attached to the Ondo state Police command have arrested a farmer, Ajayi Bayode, for allegedly killing a herdsman, identified as Abubakar Alidu Police Public Relations Officers (PPRO) in the state, Femi Joseph, who confirmed the arrest, said the incident happened on Saturday in a farm at Arigidi Akoko in the Akoko North West Local Government Area.
Our correspondent gathered that the suspect met the Fulani herdsmen and their cows on his farm and was provoked by the level of destruction on his farm.
An argument was said to have ensued between Bayode and the two herdsmen driving the cow leading to a fight between the suspect.
The suspect, who was said to have been attacked by the machete wielding herders reportedly shot one of them.
The spokesperson, who did not give details of the encounter, however, confirmed that Bayode was rushed to the State Specialist Hospital, Ikare Akoko, where he is currently receiving treatment but would subsequently be charged to court.
He said the suspect had confessed to having committed the offence, stating: “The suspect told us that the deceased beat him with a stick while he was complaining to the herdsmen that they had destroyed the crops on his farm.
“He also told us that he did not intend to kill the deceased, that he brought out the gun to scare the Fulani man and his friend but the bullet mistaken hit and killed the deceased.
“This is a pure case of murder.
Even if the deceased had used a stick to beat him, he has no justification to shoot him and kill the man.”

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