Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City
Suspected herdsmen wednesday reportedly killed two indigenes of Owan village in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State.
The victims are: 45-year-old man, simply identified as Mr. Harrison Owoh, and Mr. Samuel Imonkhai, a palm wine tapper
THISDAY gathered that Owoh was shot by his assailants while he was tapping his palm in the bush while the other victim, Imonkhai was brutally murdered in his farm by the suspected herders.
In a ‘Save Our Souls’ message to the Edo State Government, residents of Owan, Agbanikaka , Uhiere, Odiguetie and Odighi communities all in Uhiere Ward of Ovia North East LGA of the state appealed to Governor Godwin Obaseki and the security agencies to come to their rescue to end the incessant and unprovoked killings by suspected herdsmen in their communities.
Speaking on the issue, the Odionwere of Owan Community, Pa Ifiabor Michael stated that the Owan communities have been under siege from suspected headsmen, who have not only ravaged the people’s farm land but have also embarked on a killing spree of the inhabitants.
He said said no fewer than eight persons who are predominantly farmers have been killed across these communities since the beginning of February, 2020.
“Just yesterday, two indigenes of Owan Village , a palm wine tapper named Owoh and aged 45, was shot by the bandits where he was tapping his palm while another man named Samuel Imonkhai was brutally murdered by these same bandits,” he said.
Another resident who didn’t want his name in print, said all efforts made by the inhabitants of these communities to draw government attention to their plight have not received any attention.
He added that Owan community had become a flashpoint for herders as according to him, recently a policeman was killed while another policeman and several other indigenes of Owan Community notably vigilante members sustained various degrees of bullet wounds from an ambush from this same bandits when they attempted to go to the bush to retrieve the corpse of a member of the community that was also killed in the farm by this same herdsmen.
Several calls put across to the Edo State Police command spokesman, DSP Chidi Nwabuzor over the incident was unanswered as at press time.
