Some aggrieved women in the Uba-Oka Akoko community in Akoko Southwest Local Government Area of Ondo State have staged a peaceful protest to condemn the incessant killings by suspected Herdsmen in the area, calling on the government to salvage them from the invaders.
They are protesting because Sunday Ayeni, a farmer in the neighborhood, was recently killed on his land.
Ayeni was found dead on his farm, his guts exposed, and his body covered in machete cuts, suggesting that his assailants had fatally stabbed him.
The tragedy happened shortly after the dead was paid money to rebuild his farm, which had been devastated by cows that were allegedly owned by local herders.
A resident of the community who wished to remain anonymous said that last week, herders demolished Ayeni’s farm. But security officers and local leaders intervened and made it possible for the herdsmen to compensate Ayeni with an amount of money that was not disclosed, thus resolving the issue.
During the protest, the women, who were half-naked and without head ties, trekked to the palace of the traditional ruler of Oka Akoko, Oba Adebori Adeleye, chanting various solidarity songs.
The protesters also accuse the Herdsmen of raping women on their farmlands and destroying their crops.
Speaking on behalf of the protesting women, Abigail Ojo narrated their ordeal, stating that they had practically abandoned their farms due to fear of being attacked by the Herdsmen.
In response to the development, the Public Relations Officer for the Ondo State Police Command SP Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya said that police investigations into the killings had since begun and expressed hope that the perpetrators will soon be found and brought to justice.
