Vigilantes found dead as Ondo communities clash over land ownership

A yet-to-be-confirmed number of vigilante operatives have been found dead following a clash involving persons in Kajola/Koseru villages in Odigbo LGA, and the Ilaje people in Ondo state.

The affected communities are said to be at loggerheads over ownership of land.

Speaking on the development in a statement on Sunday, Oyediran Oyeyemi, Ondo commissioner of police, ordered the arrest of the perpetrators of violence in the affected areas.

According to NAN, several persons have been killed over the crisis.

Speaking on the mayhem in Kuseru village, Funmilayo Omisanya, spokesperson of the Ondo police command, said normalcy had returned to the village, but two corpses were found.

Omisanya said on December 9, a woman, identified as Julianah Alaba Abejoye, was shot by two masked men on her farm at Ogbontiba via Kuseru.

Abejoye was said to have sustained injuries on the arm and thigh and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

“On Dec. 10, at about 1000hrs, in what seemed to be a reprisal attack, Aiyetoro Boys in their numbers allegedly attacked Kuseru Village, set ablaze the motorcycle parks, killed livestock, destroyed motorcycles and cut down plantain trees,” the statement reads.

“Police contingents were quickly dispatched to the scene. While on patrol of the villages, corpses of vigilantes were seen at the Palace of Bale of Kuseru village who were said to have been allegedly ambushed and killed.

“Tactical teams of the command have been deployed to aid the activities of policemen in the area.

“We also want to allay the fears of residents around Kuseru Aiyetoro and Ago Alafia and Ondo state at large that nothing untoward will happen to them as adequate security is emplaced to ensure a hitch free celebration during this period.”

The police added that investigation into the incident had begun, while efforts are on to arrest all the perpetrators.