Assailants suspected to be herders have killed five farmers after attacking the Ajegunle-Powerline community in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State.

The suspects had allegedly invaded the farmlands in the community, suddenly fired shots in the air, and killed the victims in the process.

According to sources in the community, the victims, who hailed from Plateau and Kaduna states, were working as labourers on the farm when they were killed by their attackers’ bullets.

While narrating how the incident happened, one of the farmers disclosed that such attacks had been recurring, with the constant invasion of their farmlands by cattle, but the latest one was the most horrific due to the deaths recorded.

The farmer, who gave his name as Akin Olowolafe, maintained that security agencies were informed of past attacks on their farmlands, but nothing was done to stop the criminals.

He said: “This is how they (herdsmen) usually come to disturb and destroy our crops, and we have reported them to the state government and even to the security agencies, but no positive actions were taken by these security agencies to stop the Fulani herdsmen’s activities on our farmlands.

“These Fulani herdsmen just entered the farmlands on Tuesday as we were working, and they started shooting sporadically in the air and killed five people during the attack.”

Olowolafe said that many farmers in the community have fled their farms for fear of being killed, stressing that the incessant clashes and destruction of farm crops had become worrisome.

The farmer, however, called on Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa and the security agencies to intervene and save them from attacks allegedly perpetrated by the herders.

A labourer, identified as Fidelis Daniel, who also spoke on the incident, said, “They came around 3 p.m. on Tuesday to destroy our farms, and we had warned them not to come to our farmlands again, but they didn’t listen, and when they came, they just started shooting.

“I was inside the farm too when the incident happened. I just heard the sound of guns, and I immediately ran to the house. It was even God that saved me; otherwise, they would have killed me.

“They suddenly came with weapons to destroy our crops and killed five people—three from Plateau State and two from Kaduna State.”

Meanwhile, the remains of the victims have been deposited at the mortuary of the University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital (UNIMEDTH), Akure Complex, by men of the Hunters and Vigilantes Association in the Akure North Local Government Area of the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, CSP Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, who confirmed the incident, however, said, “There was an attack on the community, and the police are still investigating. But I cannot confirm the number of people that were killed.”