There is no end in sight to the farmers/herdsmen crisis in Okada village in Ovia North-East local government area of Edo state as two hersdmen were alleged to have been killed by some yet to identified members of the community.
The crisis it was learnt started in early 2016 as the farmers some of whom were into commercial farming reported the continued destruction of their crops by cattle belonging to herdsmen to the police.
As expected, the police it was learnt sued for peace between both the farmers and herdsmen as the only way for their coexistence but it was not to be when in March 2016 the same problem came and the farmers responded by applying lethal and poisonous chemicals on the maize farm killing 15 of the cattle.
The poisoning of the 15 cattle by the farmers however caused more tension as the herdsmen destroyed their crops and vegetables farmland worth millions of naira by setting it ablaze while one Mrs .Mercy Okhionkpamwonyi was seriously attacked with life threatening cut on her head.
It was learnt that the major farmers who were affected in the destruction some of whom were hunters on April 7,2016 allegedly attacked and killed two herdsmen further heightening tensions in the volatile community.
Meanwhile, farmlands belonging to commercial farmers like Paul Aifuwa, Ojo Henry, Osarobo Elisha, Pedro Aisosa,Etinosa Orobosa and others were destroyed in the fire.
The information made available to the Nigerian Observer revealed that the alleged killers and farmers involved in the killing of the two herdsmen are already on the run as the police have intensified efforts to arrest them and bring them to justice for taking laws into their hands.
Meanwhile the police in a statement have said it would leave nothing to chance in making sure the persons involved in the killing are all arrested.
