Gunmen, suspected to be herdsmen, have killed five farmers at Aba Oyinbo, a farm settlement, in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.
Angered by the killing, residents on Wednesday morning staged a peaceful protest at the Governor’s Office, Alagbaka, Akure, shutting down its main gate and the major road in the area.
The protesters who displayed corpses of the farmers at the main entrance of the Governor’s Office, lamented the lacklustre attitude of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to the rising insecurity in the state.
One of the protesting farmers who simply identified himself as Abure, told the Thefrontrank that the farmers were killed by herdsmen in the early hours of Wednesday in their farmlands.
“The sad reality in Ondo State now is that nobody is safe. Farmers cannot no longer go to their farms without been killed or kidnapped.
“Even, travellers are being kidnapped daily on the roads in Ondo State. How long are we going to face this menace.
“The present administration of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in Ondo State is ineptitude in the area of provision of good governance to the people, especially the security, unlike during the administration of late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu,” the farmer lamented.
Gunmen had two weeks ago killed over 20 farmers in four farm settlements of Aba Pastor, Aba Sunday, Ademekun Camp and Aba Alajido within Ala Elefosan in the same local government.
Also, travellers on the busy Akure/Owo/Benin Road were stranded as protesters barricaded the road in Ogbese for hours, protesting incessant killing of residents by bandits.
The protesters are calling for increased security measures to protect farmers and an end to the incessant killings and kidnapping in the state.
Thefrontrank reports that a fortnight ago, nine surveyors were abducted while working on a site in Ilu-Abo, in the same local government. They regained freedom after their families paid a ransom of N20 million.
The state government and the police are yet to react to the incident.
