Outrage As Bandits Go On Rampage, K!ll Farmer In Ondo
The brutal k!lling of local farmer Rabiat Atere by suspected armed bandits in Oka Akoko, Akoko South West Local Government Area of Ondo State, has triggered widespread outrage and condemnation.
Atere was reportedly attacked on her farm in Oka on Monday evening.
The deceased, who hailed from Uba in Oka-Akoko, was said to have invested heavily on the farm before she was violently k!lled.
A source who spoke to The Nation yesterday said the middle-aged woman whose corpse had already been deposited at the hospital morgue in Iwaro Oka was tilting on her farmland when the bandits struck.
“It is a sad incident, but her lifeless body was discovered, and she was taken to a mortuary in Iwaro,” she said.
Youths of the community have called on the security agencies to smoke out the suspected marauders and perpetrators to face prosecution.
The youths, under the aegis of Akoko Youth Forum (AYF), alleged that the k!lling of Atere was masterminded by herders.
Its National President, Ibukun-oluwa Akeju, described the k!lling of Mrs Atere as a direct attack on the peace being enjoyed in the community.
“This heinous act, allegedly carried out by suspected Fulani assailants, is a direct attack on the peace and safety of our people, a threat we can no longer tolerate,” he said.
The youths decried lack of immediate security response in the aftermath of the k!lling, noting that since the evacuation of the victim’s body by the police, no security presence had been deployed to the area.
“It is deeply troubling that since the incident occurred and the Nigeria Police evacuated her body, no form of security presence has been deployed to the community. Our people are now left to live in fear, without assurance of protection or justice,” he added.
They called “on the security agencies, traditional rulers, and relevant stakeholders to ensure that the perpetrators are arrested and prosecuted, and that peace and security are restored to the affected communities.”
Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, said a marching order has been given to the security agencies to go after the perpetrators.
