Tension surged in Akure, the capital of Ondo State, on Wednesday as farmers took to the streets to protest the alleged killing of five individuals by suspected herdsmen in the Aba Oyinbo community, located in the Akure North Local Government Area.
Reports indicate that the attackers stormed the community in the early hours of Wednesday, opening fire on the victims, who were reportedly all farmers.
The killings come less than two weeks after a similar violent incident, where gunmen were said to have killed at least 14 people across four communities—Ademekun, Aba Pastor, Aba Sunday, and Alajido in the same local government area.
The protest, fueled by anger and frustration, saw a large group of demonstrators march to the Governor’s Office, chanting solidarity songs and demanding swift action from Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa to end the ongoing violence against farmers.
One of the protesters, Jonah, expressed deep concern over the growing wave of killings, claiming that the attackers had infiltrated the state through Edo.
He accused the authorities of inaction and warned that the community was under siege.
“We are being slaughtered without anyone doing anything.
Akure North is under siege.
We are farmers, not criminals.
We are appealing to the governor, the police, the army, and Amotekun to save us before more lives are lost,” Jonah said.
By the time of filing this report, security forces had been deployed to the protest site in a bid to maintain order and prevent further escalation.