Farmer who guns down herdsman in Ondo to be prosecuted

The Ondo State Police Command on Monday arrested a farmer identified as Ajayi Bayode for allegedly killing a herdsman.

Abubakar Alidu was murdered by Bayode during a dispute on Saturday on the suspect’s farm at Arigidi Akoko, in the Akoko North West Local Government Area of Ondo State.

Some Fulani herdsmen drove their cattle to the suspect’s farm, allegedly destroying his crops.

This led to an argument, the a fight during which the deceased and his colleagues attacked the farmer with machetes.

“To defend himself, he (suspect) brought out his gun and shot the herdsman.”

But the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Femi Joseph said that Bayode, who is currently receiving treatment at the state hospital, Ikare Akoko, would be charged to court for murder.

According to him,investigation had revealed that the suspect allegedly killed the Fulani herdsman, and that Bayode, too, had confessed to committing the offence.

“He (suspect) told us that the deceased hit him with a stick, while he was complaining to the herdsmen that they had destroyed the crops on his farm, ” he said.

“He also told us that he did not intend to kill the deceased; that he brought out the gun to scare the Fulani man and his friend, but the bullet mistakenly hit and killed the deceased.

“So, this is a pure case of murder. Even if the deceased had used a stick to beat him, it doesn’t mean that he, too, should kill him.”

Commissioner of Police Gbenga Adeyanju has ordered that the case be transferred to the Criminal Investigative Department of the command, amd Bayodethe would be charged to court as soon as he leaves hospital.