Disturbed by the growing insecurity in the Akoko area of Ondo state, a group of concerned women staged a peaceful protest, with some of them partially naked, to condemn the ongoing violent killings and kidnappings by suspected herdsmen.
Mostly elderly, the women marched through the streets to express their distress over the frequent killings, kidnappings, and destruction of their farmlands by armed bandits.
The protest took place shortly after a farmer, Sunday Ayeni, was brutally murdered on his land following a disagreement with herdsmen who had invaded and destroyed his crops.
Mr Ayeni’s lifeless body, along with his hunting dog, was discovered by a search party in the community over the weekend.
As a result of this development, farmers have been forced to abandon their farmlands due to fear of potential attacks by the intruders.
During a security meeting held at the palace of the notable traditional ruler of Oka, the Olubaka of Oka, Adebori Adeleye, many of the women, some without head coverings, voiced their demands for justice for the victims of the incessant attacks.
A spokesperson for the women, Abigail Ojo, claimed that some of the suspected herdsmen had raped them on their farms and destroyed their crops in the process.
Mrs Ojo, while sharing their experiences, stated that they had abandoned their farms and were determined not to return until there was adequate security and protection.
“We cannot tolerate these senseless killings any longer. All of this has to stop,” she said in the local language.
She appealed to the security agencies for assistance in finding lasting solutions to their problems.
In response, the traditional ruler, Mr. Adeleye, stated that the security situation in the community was being addressed by the relevant security agencies in the state.
However, he requested some time to allow the security agencies to find lasting solutions to the troubling situation in the community.
