A guard attached to the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree has shot dead a farmer in Eripa, Boluwaduro local government area of Osun State.
The incident happened at the weekend at Odo-Ada area of the town. The area was allocated to the deceased and his Tiv tribesmen for farming activities.
The Tiv man was said to be in company with his kinsmen after the day’s labour when the guard said to hail from a neighbouring town, Iree, killed him with a dane gun.
It was gathered that the suspected killer invaded the farm that day to steal yams from the deceased farm believing that the owner had left the farm for the day.
When he discovered that the man was still on the farm with his close associates, the suspect reportedly hid in a place for them to leave.
Unfortunately, a few minutes after they left, the deceased was said to have forgotten an item he wanted to take home from the farm and went back. On getting there, he was said to have discovered that someone was harvesting his farm products.
The farmer who was said to be with one of his brothers reportedly challenged the suspect who gunned him down and ran away.
He was later apprehended by people around the area who handed him over to the Police Divisional Office, Otan-Ayegbaju in the local government area.
Speaking on the incident, a kinsman of the deceased who identified himself as Donard TERKIMBI told our reporter that it was the boy in the company of his deceased that ran back home to report the case.
The residents raced down to the farm and later got the suspect arrested. He was subsequently handed over to the police.
The deceased kinsman, however, called for justice on the matter and cried out to the concerned authorities not to sweep the matter under the carpet.
Meanwhile, the remains of the deceased are said to have been deposited at a nearby hospital.
When contacted, the state police command spokesperson, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the story and assured that they would ensure that justice is done on the case.
The police spokesperson said: “The owner of the farm named Sunday who is a Tiv native was killed by a native of Iree also bearing, Sunday.
“Sunday from Iree had been reported to the Eleripa of Eripa several times that he always enters farms to steal harvests.
“Sunday (a Tiv native) and his younger brother were on the farm when Sunday (Iree) entered the farm, he was accused of wanting to steal harvest, this infuriated the latter, then there was an altercation which led to him shooting his accuser.
“He attempted to kill the victim’s brother also but he escaped. He later carried the person he shot dead on his motorcycle when he was going to the village when other farmers met him on the way and mobbed him.
“Remains of the dead have been taken to the hospital but the suspect is in the custody of the police now. He claimed that he was the owner of the land where the Tiv guy was farming and he had warned him not to go there again.”
Opalola, however, dismissed the claim that the police were asking family members of the deceased to make funds available for police to commence with the investigations of the case.
