23 Feared Dead As Gunmen Attack 7 Agrarian Communities In Edo

BENIN – No fewer than 23 persons were feared dead with several others injured in an attack on seven farming settlements in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo on Friday.

The affected communities included Marindoti, Gbelemontin Domiju, Kola Village, Taiye Camp, Eto Camp, Dipe Community, Bala Dele Community, among others.

Reports have it that the settlements were predominantly inhabited by farmers from various ethnic backgrounds, including Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, and Benin.

Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants, believed to be Ijaw militants from nearby creeks, stormed the settlements in the early hours of Friday, wielding firearms and other sophisticated weapons.

The attackers unleashed terror by shooting indiscriminately, setting houses ablaze, and destroying property, including motorcycles and vehicles.

The onslaught forced residents to flee en masse, abandoning their homes and livelihoods.

One of the witnesses described the attacks as a reprisal for the killing of a suspected cocoa thief by local vigilantes employed by the farmers.

The incident escalated existing tensions between the farmers and the alleged militants, who had previously been accused of encroaching on farmland and stealing produce.

However, the Police in Edo only confirmed seven killed and six injured, saying a preliminary investigation suggested a communal clash.

CSP Moses Yamu, Public Relations Officer of the command in a statement on Sunday, said operatives of the Iguobazuwa Police Division, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army and the Vigilantes, have evacuated the casualties to the hospital where the injured were currently receiving treatment.

“The joint operation is sustained as the situation has been brought under control and normalcy restored.

“However, investigation into the cause of the clash has equally commenced,” he said.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Betty Enekpen Isokpan Otimenyin, has vowed that no stone would be left unturned in order to unravel the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate and avoidable incident,” he said.

Some newsmen who visited the scene, however, observed a mass exodus of displaced persons carrying their belongings, seeking refuge in safer areas.

Many homes were reduced to ashes, and the once-thriving farming communities now turned into ghost towns.

Speaking with journalists, Igbala Obazuaye, the head of Marindoti community, said they have been farming in the area for years, but trouble started for them when some youths began to demand royalties from them.

“This started in 1998 when some youths began encroaching on our land, stealing our crops, and kidnapping our people, notwithstanding the payment of the royalties,” he said.

Obazuaye, who sustained bullet wounds, said the asailants invaded the community around 8am, killing seven persons in his community alone.

According to him, the assailants burnt cocoa, kola nut and cash worth more than N20 million.

He appealed for military protection, the establishment of a local police station, and assistance in rebuilding their communities.

Also speaking, Nafisat Abdulazeez, a resident of Dipe community, described the experience as traumatic, calling for an immediate intervention of Gov. Monday Okpebholo.

She said that no fewer than 15 persons were killed in her Dipe community, while several others are missing.

“They came into our community, shooting and burning houses. They killed 15 people, and many more were injured.

“They even burnt my own house, and my family was forced to flee,” she said.

Joseph Otu refuted the claim that the attack was communal, saying it was unprovoked attacks by militants aiming to extort and terrorise peaceful farmers.

Otu also urged authorities to deploy security forces to safeguard the area, highlighting the communities’ significant contributions to the state’s economy through the cultivation of crops like cocoa, kola nuts, and plantains.

On his part, Usman Mukaila of Dipe community, lauded the immediate deployment of men of the 4 Brigade of the Nigeran Army by Brig-Gen. Ebenezer Oduyebo, calling for an establishment of Army beat in the area.

“We commend the Commander of the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Benin, for the immediate intervention and deployment of soldiers.

“That has helped to calm the situation for now. If not for him, the rest of the people would have gone. We also thank the governor.

“We, however, urge him to bring a permanent Army base to this area. We are crying, we really need his help. You can see all our women and children leaving here,” he said.