Ayegbaju Ekiti community in , Oye local lovernment area of Ekiti state was on Thursday thrown into confusion and mourning over alleged murder of a farmer, Elijah Ogor by a suspected herdsman, identified as Umar Abubakar Sanda.
The deceased in his 30’s who hailed from Benue state, was reportedly shot on his farm located between Ayegbaju and Ido Ekiti after his farm was destroyed by cattle .
Igor’s murder had sparked anger and protest among the youths in the town .The protesting youth blocked Ifaki-Ayegbaju and Ayegbaju-Oye road and prevented movements of vehicles for over an hour in and out of the town.
A young man who identified himself as Adeleye , told newsmen that the victim was shot by suspected herder at the back and died in the pool of his blood right on his farm .
“All we want is justice. How could any fulani herders to someone’s farm and destroy it and still go ahead to kill him? This is unjust and callous.
“This issue must be investigated thoroughly and whoever was involved should be prosecuted accordingly”,
“Immediately the death was reported to the sarkin Fulani in Ekiti, Alhaji Abashe Adamu, the task force of Gan-Allah Fulani Development Association of Nigeria(GAFDAN), Ekiti chapter , swung into action and combed Ayegbaju-Ido-Iludun expansive farmland and arrested Sanda , the alleged killer, he said.
The secretary of GAFDAN’S Secretary in Ekiti State, Toyin Ibrahim, while addressing journalists in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital said:
“We got the information from sarkin fulani that a farmer was killed in Ayegbaju . Our task force, comprising virtually all the ethnic groups in Nigeria moved into that bush and arrested Umar Sanda.
“At the point we saw him, he was holding a rifle and with live cartridge inside. We queried the rationale behind the carrying of firearm which contravened Ekiti state Anti-Grazing Law, but he gave no reason.
“As law abiding group, we immediately took Sanda to the police station at Ido Ekiti where he was detained.Part of our mandate in GAFDAN is to arrest cattle rustlers and errant herdsmen, who destroyed farmlands or commit other offences”.
Ibrahim appealed to the government to empower the group to be able to carry out the mandate of ensuring harmonious relationship between farmers and Fulani herders.
