The police in Ogun State have arrested four farmers for allegedly killing a herder, Umaru Aliyu.
The police spokesman in the state, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the arrests to journalists on Monday, said the suspects reportedly attacked the victim and his brother, Umaru Jakake, while they were grazing their cattle on their farm in Ijagunre village in Imeko-Afon LGA.
Oyeyemi said that the suspects: Akinyele Adebayo, Gbalo Idosu, Abiala Segun and Kareem Fagbemi Lana, allegedly shot Umaru Aliyu with a Dane gun and cut off his head for ritual purpose.
He added that the suspects were arrested following a report lodged by the victim’s brother at the Imeko Police Division.
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Oyeyemi explained that the herders were accosted by one Ojugbele who warned them not to graze their cattle near his farm.
He said, “Upon the warning, they took their cattle to the other side of the bush for grazing, but the said Ojugbele later called two other men who started chasing them about in the bush.
“The complainant further stated that he managed to escape, but that the whereabouts of his brother, Umaru Aliyu, was yet to be known.
“One of the suspects, identified as Kareem Fagbemi Lana, was later arrested. He confessed to the police that it was one Ojugbele who called him from his own farm to inform him of the presence of herdsmen in their farms’ vicinity, and that he should come and join him to chase them away.
“He confessed further that he also called Abiala Segun, who came with his Dane gun and the three of them started chasing the herdsmen. While chasing them, Kareem Fagbemi Lana collected the Dane gun and shot one of the herdsmen, Umaru Aliyu, to death.
“After killing him, they invited Akinyele Adebayo whose farm is nearby and informed him of the incident.
“It was Akinyele Adebayo who helped them to dismember the body after telling them that he needed the head of the deceased for a certain ritual and they all agreed with him to take it.
“They then took the remaining parts of the body to Tamake town and buried it in front of Gbalo Idosu’s house.
“The confession of Kareem Fagbemi Lana led to the arrest of the three others, while Ojugbele is still on the run.
The deceased’s head and other body parts have been recovered by the police.”
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