Tension heightened in Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Wednesday as farmers staged a protest over the alleged killing of five individuals by suspected herdsmen in Aba Oyinbo, a community in Akure North Local Government Area.
According to The PUNCH, the assailants launched an attack on the community in the early hours of the day, opening fire on unsuspecting victims.
The latest violence comes on the heels of a similar attack two weeks ago, in which at least 14 people lost their lives in separate assaults on four communities—Ademekun, Aba Pastor, Aba Sunday, and Alajido—within the same local government.
In response to the killings, enraged farmers took to the streets, marching to the Governor’s Office in large numbers. Chanting protest songs, they called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to take immediate action to curb the wave of attacks.
A protester, identified as Jonah, expressed frustration over the deteriorating security situation. “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.
