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Gunmen Kill Eight, Destroy Farmland In Ondo Communities

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The residents of Imoru, Arimogija and Molege communities in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State have called on the state and federal governments to save them from the incessant attack of suspected killer-herdsmen.

The residents said no fewer than eight members of the communities had been killed in the last two weeks while about 40 hectares of farmland had been destroyed by the assailants. According to them, the victims were mostly farmers and traders.

Speaking about the incident, a community leader, Owolafe Folorunsho, said the recent attack occurred when the farmers repelled the herdsmen from destroying their crops by the herdsmen.

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READ ALSO: Ondo Amotekun Arrests 80 Suspected Criminals

He stated, “The herders have continued to invade our farmlands at night, harvest our crops to feed their cows and on many occasions, they will come during the day, force us to uproot the cassava by ourselves at gunpoint, command us to cut them into pieces to feed their cows.

“In order not to take laws into our hands, we reported this act of economic sabotage to the appropriate authority who took prompt action to chase them out of the farming areas only for them to come back and attacked us with AK-47, pump action, axes and cutlasses and killed our people at night.”

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He added that the gunmen recently laid ambush along the Akure-Benin Expressway and attacked some traders coming from Akure, killing all the occupants, taking their money and setting the car ablaze.

The Chairman of the Ose Local Government, Prince Adekunle Dennis, who visited the affected communities, expressed worries over the sad development, saying something would be done urgently to checkmate the excesses of the suspected killer-herdsmen. He also expressed concern to the state governor, Mr Rotimi Akeredolu, over the security situation in the local government.

The council is meeting with the relevant authorities and stakeholders with the aim of redesigning the security architecture of all the flashpoints in the area in order to nip the security challenges in the bud,” the chairman said.

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While calling on the community leaders and youth organisations in the area to be more security conscious, the council boss charged them to improve on intelligence and information gathering that would enable them to give correct and useful information to the security agencies as the government could not do it all alone.

Dennis also commended the security agencies especially the Army, the police, the Department of State Services and the Amotekun Corps for a job well done, saying their timely intervention and prompt actions prevented the terrorists from wiping the people of Arimogija from the surface of the earth.

Confirming the incident, the monarch of the Imoru community, Oba Rotimi Obamuwagun, lamented the atrocities being committed by the suspected killer-herdsmen in the area.

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READ ALSO: Ondo Man Sets Self Ablaze Inside Father’s House

He lamented that they destroyed four hectares of cassava farm belonging to one of his subjects who borrowed money at a high-interest rate from a commercial bank to finance the farm.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer of the state, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, said the command had deployed its men in the area.

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“We learnt that there were sporadic gunshots in the area and we have sent our men there,” the PPRO stated.

Metro

16-year-old Killed As NDLEA Operatives, Drug Barons Clash In Edo

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Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Edo State Command, and drug barons reportedly clashed at Okpuje, Uzeba community in Owan West Local Government Area, leading to the death of a 16 -years -old boy, identified as Emmanuel Monday George.

Two others identified as God’spower Omage (20 years) and Ajayi Irobia (54 years), were said to have sustained serious injuries during the gun duel which reportedly happened on Monday.

Mitchell Ofoyeju, state commander of the NDLEA disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen in Benin on Thursday.

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READ ALSO:NDLEA Unveils Digital Platform For Drug Integrity Test, Visa Clearance Certificate

Ofoyeju said that one of its officers sustained an injury after being struck on the hand with a sharp object.

Recall that Army and NDLEA officers were recently attacked by drug barons in the agrarian community, notable for cannabis cultivation.

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Metro

JUST IN: Fire Guts Store At Abuja Mall

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A fire incident occurred at the Jabi Lake Mall, Abuja in the early hours of Thursday.

The cause of the fire, which started around 3am, could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

It was gathered that only the Adidas Sports shop was affected.

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It was further gathered that firefighters from the Federal Fire Service, the Berger Fire Department, and the FCT Fire Service, as well as police officers, were deployed to the scene.

READ ALSO: Nigerian Jailed In US Over $6m Inheritance Fraud

A resident of Jabi, Saliu, who informed our correspondent of the incident, said the fire had been contained.

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He said, “Around 3am., this morning, there was a fire incident at the Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja. No loss of life or injury was recorded. Only the Adidas Sports shop was affected by the fire.”

The FCT police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident to The PUNCH.

Adeh said police officers were deployed to the location to secure the area and prevent looting.

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“We received a distress call at about 3:40 a.m. We immediately deployed our men there to secure the place and prevent any breach of public order,” she said.

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Metro

JUST IN: Hausa, Benin Youths Clash Over Killing Of Suspected Yahoo Boy

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Photo: file copy

Several persons were on Wednesday night injured in a clash between Hausa and Benin youths, in Ogheghe community, Egor Local Government Area of Edo State, over the killing of a suspected yahoo boy identified as Chizi Benz.

According to sources, Chizi Benz was said to have been stabbed to death by a Hausa youth over a sour deal.

Though details of the deal were not available as at press time, the killing of Chidi Benz sparked outrage as youths stormed the streets with dangerous weapons in a revenge mission.

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According to sources, many ‘Abokis’ were injured in a reprisal attack while others fled for safety.

READ ALSO:Deputy Gov Pledges Support For Edo Queens

News of the killing was to have spread to nearby communities of Uwelu along the Siluko Axis, forcing Hausa youths who do petty trading and rides okada closed their businesses and fled for safety.

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According to sources, policemen who were deployed to the area fired tear gas to disperse the angry youths.

Edo Police Spokesman, Moses Yamu, who confirmed the incident, promised to send a detailed statement.

He was yet to do so as at press time.

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