6 hours ago
27
From Tony Osauzo, Benin
The Edo Police Command, yesterday, confirmed five persons dead and four others injured in a clash between cocoa farmers and some alleged produce thieves in the agrarian community of Gbelemotin in Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State.
The clash was said to have started on Thursday night and escalated on Friday morning as those believed to be sympathetic to the victims of the Thursday night fight, mobilised and launched a counter attack on Friday morning
It was learnt that many people were feared killed and houses burnt in the attack and counter attacks.
A dependable source told Sunday Sun that the crisis started when an Ikale cocoa farmer hired some vigilantes to guard his cocoa farm which has been under heavy poaching by some suspected Izon boys.
The vigilantes were said to have killed four of the Izon boys.
This reportedly led to the Friday morning counter attack by some Izon boys sympathetic to the four allegedly killed by the vigilantes, the source said.
“There was fighting yesterday (Friday) in my zone, many are feared killed. A vigilante sponsored by an Ikale man, Igbala, killed four Izon boys two nights ago.
“The boys were allegedly stealing produce belonging to the Yoruba.The boys are from Kolombor (Gbelemotin).
“Yesterday (Friday morning), there was a counter attack and some people were killed and houses burnt. The number of casualties on the other side is yet not known.
“Soldiers and other security officers were there yesterday. They moved some bodies but there are still many bodies in the bushes.
“The cocoa these boys were stealing belong to the Yoruba farmers in the area, at Madotti Camp.
The Yoruba must have suffered some collateral losses”, the source added while pleading anonymity.
Spokesman of the Edo State Police Command, Moses Yamu, while confirming the incident, said five persons were confirmed dead while four others were injured in the clash.
He said: “Five persons were confirmed dead while four others were injured in a clash between Gbelemoti community and maidoti community.
“Joint operation with the Army, vigilantes, and other agencies is ongoing as the situation has been brought under control.
“Investigation into the cause of the clash has equally commenced”, Yamu stated in a Short Messaging Service (SMS).
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