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No fewer than two lives were loss Thursday, as suspected herdsmen and villagers engaged in a fierce battle in Iwoye Ketu community, in the Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State on Thursday.
The incident left two dead and several fatally injured including the Divisional Crime Officer in charge of Imeko and a police inspector.
Trouble started after some Fulani herdsmen made their cattle drink from the community stream, thereby polluting the water.
One of the herdsmen was said to have shot dead the native who challenged them and this resulted into crisis.
Irate community members were said to have mobilised for a reprisal.
Policemen who made an attempt to apprehend some of the perpetrators failed, as some herdsmen, who had laid ambush, opened fire on the security agents and killed one civilian who has been identified as Kabiru Ogunrinde.
A resident said six persons had so far been killed from both sides.
The spokesman of the state police command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the clash, but said only one death had been ascertained.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Bashir Makama, had paid on-the-spot assessment to the town and addressed stakeholders on the need to ensure peaceful coexistence.
In his reaction, a member-elect of the House of Representatives, Olaifa Jimoh Aremu, representing Egbado North/Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency, has condemned the killings.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed the incident but said that only one loss of life could be ascertained by the Command. He added that no arrest had been made and that investigation has commenced to unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The PPRO said, “The CP was there today with the police management team and we have stationed our men in the town, including men from PMF, SARS, Anti-kidnapping and other tactical squads.
“The CP has addressed all the stakeholders, including the Fulani community and natives of Iwoye community and their Kabiyesis (traditional rulers). He has warned them to live in peace and whoever foments trouble will have himself to blame. We know of one casualty now, we even saw the corpse. Though we heard a rumour that from the other side of the stream which is in the Benin Republic, some people were actually attacked there. The CP also met with the commissioner of police from the Benin Republic at the border and they had a joint meeting and they are going to set up a joint committee to prevent future occurrences. The injured policemen are recuperating in a hospital.”
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