Man Beheaded in Ekiti

A yet-to-be identified farmer has been reportedly killed in Orisunmibare, a disputed settlement between Ayede-Ekiti and Itaji-Ekiti in Oye local government area of Ekiti State.

The killing of an Ayede indigene, Seyi Oladipo, over the land dispute had last week sparked a wild protest as the youths of the town stormed Itaji to protest his death.

His assailants were said to have trailed the farmer to his farm where they inflicted several machete cuts on him before cutting off his head and hands after which they made away with severed head.

A Chief in Orisunmibare it was learnt also sustained machete injuries wounds by suspected Ayede youths who accused him of firing the shot that killed Oladipo.

The Onitaji, Oba Adamo Babalola, in a telephone chat with journalists yesterday, accused Ayede people of perpetrating the attack on Orisunmibare in a bid to take over the land.

Describing the victim’s killing as unfortunate, the monarch who called on the warring people to embrace peace maintained that Orisunmibare is a settlement under Itaji wondering why Ayede people want to claim the land “by all means.”

According to him, “Orisunmibare is a settlement under Itaji and is more than 10 kilometers from Ayede; Ayede people just went there one morning on rampage and the scuffle led to the death of somebody from Ayede.

“But yesterday, an Orisunmibare subject was killed inside his farm and he was beheaded. The Asiwaju of Orisunmibare was macheted and beaten to coma and was declared dead by Ayede youths.“The Ayede people were singing that they had killed Asiwaju Orisunmibare but he has been taken to the hospital where he is still under observation. But we have been experiencing sporadic attacks from Ayede people and they have been threatening our peace since then.

“The police have been trying to maintain peace but we are disturbed by sporadic attacks especially the ones carried out on the farm. Orisunmibare has been there for many years and the land is under Itaji.”

Confirming the latest killing, Police spokesman Alberto Adeyemi, who said that investigation was ongoing promised to release the name of the victim after he might have received a formal report from the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the area.

Adeyemi said: “It is true that somebody was beheaded and the mutilated body found on the farm. Since the crisis started, two persons have been charged to court while Akanbi too will be charged to court immediately he leaves the hospital.”