Suspected Herdsmen Kill Man, Pregnant Woman in Ekiti

Toba Suleiman

23 June 2011

The frequent robbery attacks along Ado-Ijan-Ekiti road on Sunday claimed the lives of two persons. The victims – a man and a pregnant woman – were said to have been shot by the robbers who were raiding commuters on the road.

THISDAY gathered that several robbery incidents had taken place at the same bad spot where the duo were killed.

Inhabitants of the surrounding communities in Gbonyin Local Government Area of the state confirmed that the assailants were suspected to be nomadic herdsmen. It was gathered that such incident had been occurring on the deplorable portion of the road in the last two weeks.

The robbers were said to have often carried out their nefarious attacks using locally made guns and pistols as well as cutlasses. They were said to have also laid in wait for their victims at a dilapidated portion of the road which is also on a sharp bend at Ago Aduloju, a farmstead, which is about 18 kilometres to Ado Ekiti, the state capital.

Ago Aduloju is in Ado Ekiti Local Government, with large expanse of land for farming and grazing.

An eyewitness, who spoke to THISDAY on telephone, explained that the pregnant woman who was being conveyed by a motorcyclist from Ilupeju, a neighbouring community of Ijan Ekiti to the state capital, ran into the robbery gang which was already robbing some commuters.

The source said the robbers were already dispossessing some victims of their personal effects and as the motorcyclist was trying to make a detour for escape to Ijan Ekiti, one of the robbers shot at the woman at the back and she was said to have died immediately.

The Ekiti State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr. Mohammed Jimoh, who confirmed the report, said: “We are aware of the situation and we have commenced 24 hours patrol of that road. We are quite aware that they are using the deplorable state of that road to commit the crime.”

According to him, men of the Swift Response Squad had been placed on 24 hours patrol of the Ado-Ijan Ekiti road to curtail the activities of the criminals.

He said: “We are aware of the situation and we have commenced 24 hours patrol of that road. We are quite aware that they are using the deplorable state of that road to commit the crime.

“I want to assure the people of the State that we are on the top of the situation and we will stop at nothing in ensuring that the perpetrators are apprehended and brought to justice.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Olayinka Balogun, has subsequently mobilised his men to take charge of the dreaded spot.

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