Armed bandits suspected to be Fulani herdsmen on Thursday invaded Molege community in the Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State.
The incident followed an altercation between the residents and the herdsmen who were determined to graze their cows on the residents’ farms.
It was gathered that the gunmen struck in the evening, taking the community by surprise. The villagers were said to have fled into the bush giving the herdsmen an opportunity to set their houses on fire.
The source said, “The herdsmen in their large number attacked the community in the evening and killed three people. Some hours later in the night, they burnt down the houses in the community.”
The Commander of the Ondo State Amotekun Corps, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said the herdsmen attacked his men while on patrol in the community.
He said, “While on a routine patrol at Molege, our men were informed that some nearby villages in Molege have been taken over by herdsmen while they burnt down some people’s properties.
“We moved in with three patrol vehicles and took control of the situation in the village. On their way back, some men suspected to be herdsmen suddenly opened fire on our men in an unprovoked attack because Amotekun does not want to start firing people.
“We are trying to find out who they are as investigation is ongoing. We urged the people of the community to come back to their homes as peace has returned to the village.”
The Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, in a statement, said the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Oyeyemi Oyediran, paid a visit to the affected community on Friday for an on-the-spot assessment to ascertain the level of damage.
The statement read, “The CP during his visit to the scene met with the community members, encouraged them, allayed their fears and vowed to arrest and prosecute all those involved in the evil act accordingly.
“Oyeyemi immediately deployed men of the Special Squads and PMF personnel to the community to ensure the protection of lives and property in the area.”
