Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have killed a prominent herdsman, Alhaji Aliu Yunusa, in Ondo State.
Yunusa, 65, was murdered at the weekend at a farm settlement near Ilu Abo in Akure North Local Government Area of the state.
It was learnt that the suspects had earlier abducted Mr Yunusa’s wife but she escaped and was rescued before ransom was paid to the kidnappers.
A source at the settlement, who craved anonymity, revealed that the abductors were irked by the rescue of the woman and they returned.
“They (kidnappers) came disguised as cattle rustlers before killing him and setting his property ablaze,” he said.
The incident, it was further gathered, has sent shock waves to the people in the settlement.
Confirming the incident on Sunday, the Commander of the Amotekun Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, said Yunusa was murdered by herdsmen who are also suspected kidnappers while on his motorcycle heading to his ranch.
“They had earlier kidnapped his wife, but he fought them off and retrieved her. Sadly, they returned, overpowered, and killed him while trying to steal his cows.
“However, we got wind of the murder case when a distress call was placed to the Amotekun Corps outpost office around Ogbese by his colleagues who discovered Yunusa’s lifeless body at the scene.
“When our officers arrived at the scene of the incident, they found Yunusa’s body with multiple machete wounds and his motorcycle had also been set ablaze by the assailants,” he said.
While condemning the gruesome killing, Mr Adeleye said efforts were on by the corps to track the perpetrators of the attack and killing of Yunusa.
He stressed that the operatives of the Amotekun Corps, in collaboration with the State Security Services (SSS), will leave no stone unturned in bringing the culprits to justice.
“Our officers are combing the forest in search of these criminals,” he added.
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