Gunmen have attacked farming communities in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo, killing about 23 persons and leaving several others injured.
The attackers on Friday stormed Marindoti, Gbelemontin Domiju, Kola Village, Taiye Camp, Eto Camp, Dipe Community, Bala Dele Community, among other communities.
The settlements were predominantly inhabited by farmers from various ethnic backgrounds, including Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, and Benin.
Witnesses said the assailants, alleged to be Ijaw militants from nearby creeks, stormed the settlements wielding firearms and other sophisticated weapons.
They reportedly shot indiscriminately, setting houses ablaze, and destroying property, including motorcycles and vehicles, as residents fled, abandoning homes and livelihoods.
A witness described the attacks as a reprisal for the killing of a suspected cocoa thief by local vigilantes employed by the farmers.
The incident has escalated tensions between the farmers and the alleged militants, who had previously been accused of encroaching on farmlands and stealing produce.
Reacting to the incidents, the Edo State Command of the Nigerian Police confirmed seven killed and six injured, saying a preliminary investigation showed it was a communal clash.
CSP Moses Yamu, Public Relations Officer of the command in a statement on Sunday, said operatives of the Iguobazuwa Police Division, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army and the Vigilantes, have evacuated the casualties to the hospital where the injured were currently receiving treatment.
“The joint operation is sustained as the situation has been brought under control and normalcy restored.However, investigation into the cause of the clash has commenced,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Betty Enekpen Isokpan Otimenyin, has vowed that no stone would be left unturned in order to unravel the circumstances surrounding the unfortunate and avoidable incident,” he said.
Speaking with journalists, Igbala Obazuaye, Head of Marindoti community, said they have been farming in the area for years, but trouble started when some youths began to demand royalties from them.
“This started in 1998 when some youths began encroaching on our land, stealing our crops, and kidnapping our people, notwithstanding the payment of the royalties,” he said.
Obazuaye, who sustained bullet wounds, said the assailants invaded the community around 8am, killing seven persons in his community alone.
According to him, the assailants burnt cocoa, kola nuts and cash worth more than N20 million.
He appealed for military protection, the establishment of a local police station, and assistance in rebuilding their communities.
Also speaking, Nafisat Abdulazeez, a resident of Dipe community, described the experience as traumatic, calling for an immediate intervention of Gov. Monday Okpebholo.
She said that no fewer than 15 persons were killed in her Dipe community, while several others are missing.
“They came into our community, shooting and burning houses. They killed 15 people, and many more were injured. They even burnt my own house, and my family was forced to flee,” she said.
On his part, Usman Mukaila of Dipe community, lauded the immediate deployment of men of the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army by Brig-Gen. Ebenezer Oduyebo, calling for an establishment of Army beat in the area.
“We commend the Commander of the 4 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Benin, for the immediate intervention and deployment of soldiers.
“That has helped to calm the situation for now. If not for him, the rest of the people would have gone. We also thank the governor. We, however, urge him to bring a permanent Army base to this area. We are crying, we really need his help. You can see all our women and children leaving here,” he said.
