silhouette of armed robbers

By Jethro Ibileke 

The Edo State Police Command has confirmed that five persons died and four others were injured in the clash between cocoa farmers and some suspected produce thieves in the Gbelemotin community, Ovia South-West Local Government Area of the State.

It would be recalled that the clash which started on Thursday night escalated on Friday morning as those believed to be sympathetic to the victims of the Thursday night fight mobilised and launched a counterattack on Friday morning.

The agrarian community witnessed a heavy clash between cocoa farmers in the locality and some produce thieves suspected to be Ijaw boys in the locality.

A competent source in the locality who pleaded anonymity disclosed that a cocoa farmer of Ikale origin hired some vigilantes to guard his cocoa farm which has been under heavy poaching by some suspected Ijaw boys.

The vigilantes were said to have killed four of the Ijaw boys.

The source added that some Ijaw boys sympathetic to the four allegedly killed by the vigilantes, reportedly launched a counterattack on Friday morning.

“There was fighting yesterday (Friday) in my zone, many are feared killed. A vigilante sponsored by an Ikale man, Igbala, killed four Izon boys two nights ago.

“The boys were allegedly stealing produce belonging to the Yoruba. The boys are from Kolombor (Gbelemotin).

“Yesterday (Friday morning, there was a counterattack and some people were killed and houses burnt. The number of casualties on the other side is yet not known.

“Soldiers and other security officers were there yesterday. They moved some bodies but there are still many bodies in the bushes.

“The cocoa these boys were stealing belong to the Yoruba farmers in the area, at Madotti Camp. The Yorubas must have suffered some collateral losses,” the source disclosed.

The State Police Command spokesman, CSP Moses Yamu, who responded to the inquiry through SMS, said: “5 persons were confirmed dead while 4 others were injured in a clash between the Gbelemoti community and Maidoti community.

“Joint operation with the Army, vigilantes, and other agencies is ongoing as the situation has been brought under control.

“Investigation into the cause of the clash has equally commenced,” Yamu said.