Two people have been confirmed dead in a clash between two groups in the Kajola and Koseru communities in the Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State.
According to reports made available to NIGERIACRIME, the clash started on Saturday when a woman was shot by someone while on her farm in the Koseru community.
A source within the village noted that the female farmer escaped with wounds from the attack but some youths who were said to be from Ikale in Okitipupa launched a reprisal attack on farmers resident in the koseru community.
The source said the attack claimed the lives of a middle-aged man and one Kayode.
In a statement issued by the state Police Public Relations Officers, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, the Commissioner of Police, Mr Oyediran Oyeyemi, ordered the arrest of the perpetrators of the dastardly act while normalcy had been restored in the warring areas.
The statement read, “Normalcy has returned to Kuseru Village, a community where there was a communal clash. On December 9, 2022, a case of attempted murder was reported at Kajola Division, that a woman Julianah Alaba Abejoye ‘ was shot by two masked men on her farm at Ogbontiba via Kuseru with a locally-made double-barrelled gun and escaped. She sustained injuries on the arm and thigh and was rushed to the Hospital for treatment.
“On December 10, 2022, at about 10 am, in what seemed to be reprisal attacks, Aiyetoro boys in their numbers attacked Kuseru Village, set ablaze the motorcycle parks, killed livestock, destroyed motorcycles, and cut down plantain trees.
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“Police Contingents were quickly dispatched to the scene, while on Patrol of the villages, corpses of vigilantes were met at the palace of baale of Kuseru Village who were said to have been allegedly ambushed and killed.
“The Commissioner of Police, Yemi Oyediran, visited the scene, urged all parties involved to sheath their sword and allow police to carry out a thorough investigation on what really happened.
“He further ordered that the area commander and DPO of the area should ensure all culprits involved in the arson and murder be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
“Tactical teams of the command have been deployed to aid the activities of policemen in the area. The CP is also using this medium to allay the fears of the residents around Kuseru, Aiyetoro and Ago Alafia, and Ondo State at large that nothing untoward will happen to them as adequate security is emplaced to ensure a hitch-free celebration during this period.”
Also confirming the incident, the Special Adviser to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu on Security Matters, Adetunji Adeleye, disclosed that the remains of the victims had been deposited in a mortuary.
“We are suspecting a reprisal attack of some Ikale youths who mobilised themselves and launched an attack on the unsuspecting Osun/Oyo farmers. There is a Councillor representing Oyo/Osun axis that was killed in the fracas. A vigilante member, not Amotekun, was [also] killed.”