Victor Ogunje in Ado Ekiti
As the bloody land dispute between Ayede and Itaji Ekiti communities lingers, a yet-to-be identified man was yesterday beheaded at the contentious land at Orisunmibare, a farmstead located between the two towns in Oye Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
Violent protest last week rocked Ayede Ekiti over the shooting of one Seyi Oladipo over the control of Orisunmibare settlement.
Confirmed reports revealed yesterday that unknown persons were said to have trailed the victim, who was a farmer from Orisunmibare to his farm where he was decapitated and his hands cut off.
During the fight, the Asiwaju of Orisunmibare, Chief Segun Akanbi, was also said to have been inflicted with machete wounds by suspected Ayede youths who accused him of firing the shot that killed Oladipo and had been taken to hospital for medical treatment.
Explaining the situation, the Onitaji, Oba Adamo Babalola, claimed that the perpetrators of the attack are from Ayede who are now launching sporadic attacks on Orisunmibare in a bid to take over the land.
Oba Babalola described the victim’s death as unfortunate, calling on the warring people to embrace peace.
The monarch said: “Orisunmibare is a settlement under Itaji and is more than 10 kilometres from Ayede; Ayede people just went there one morning on rampage and the scuffle led to the death of somebody from Ayede.
“But yesterday, an Orisunmibare subject was killed inside his farm and he was beheaded. The Asiwaju of Orisunmibare was macheted and beaten to coma and was declared dead by Ayede youths.
“The Ayede people were singing that they had killed Asiwaju Orisunmibare but he has been taken to the hospital where he is still under observation. But we have been experiencing sporadic attacks from Ayede people and they have been threatening our peace since then.
“The police have been trying to maintain peace but we are disturbed by sporadic attacks especially the ones carried out on the farms.
Orisunmibare has been there for many years and the land is under Itaji.”
Confirming the death, Police spokesman, Mr. Alberto Adeyemi, said investigation was still ongoing.
He promised to release the name of the victim after he might have received a formal report from the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area.
Adeyemi said: “It is true that somebody was beheaded and the mutilated body found on the farm. Since the crisis started, two persons have been charged to court while Akanbi too will be charged to court immediately he leaves the hospital.”
