Two persons have reportedly died on Wednesday while the leader of the Amotekun Corps is missing after suspected Fulani herdsmen attacked men of the Security Network at the Government Forest Reserve located at Ago Sanusi along Ute Road in Owo, Owo Local Government Area of Ondo state.
It was learnt that the herdsmen had laid an ambush for the Amotekun men who after receiving a tip-off from some farmers went to in the forest reserve on the trail of some criminal elements in the area.
The Amotekun corps had recently arrested 15 illegal miners who are of the Fulani stock allegedly involved in illegal mining in the area.
According to a source, the attack came at about 2:00 am on Wednesday.
The source said that the Fulani herdsmen who were heavily armed with sophisticated weapons like AK47 dressed like militiaman men, with live ammunition wrapped round their bodies.
It was learnt that a farmer whose name was given as Lanre and popularly called Lado had earlier been abducted by the attackers in the area and his corpse was later found with his right and left hands cut off.
It was gathered that a member of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria who joined the Amotekun in the operation was shot in the head by the herdsmen and died instantly.
The head of operations of Amotekun security outfit in Owo, identified as Oluwasesan Adebayo who was reported to be missing has not been found and his whereabouts unknown at the time of this report.
Speaking with Newsmen, a younger brother of the missing Amotekun staff, Pastor Idowu Adebayo said the family has been in great pain since they got the information about the abduction of their son.
While not losing all hope of the return of his brother, Adebayo called on the state government and all security outfits in the state to intervene, warning that all indications have shown that Fulani herdsmen have a secret agenda to take over the state and the entire Southwest.
According to him, it is now clear that every part of the state has been invaded by the herdsmen thereby putting natives and other residents in great danger.
Meanwhile, tension has enveloped Owo as residents are becoming more apprehensive and afraid to go to their farms.
As a result, market women and traders have stopped going to farm settlement markets to buy food items for sale in the town while farmers have already abandoned their farms for fear of being killed by the herdsmen.
In an interview, a trader, Mrs Adewale said that she and other traders could no longer go to purchase wares for the fear of being killed by the herdsmen who have no mercy for human beings.
A farmer at Sanusi camp, Abu said he and other farmers at the camp have abandoned their farms for fear of being killed.
Abu said the camp and all other camps in the area have been deserted by those carrying out their farming business in the place
It was gathered that the State headquarters of the Amotekun outfit has dispatched a reinforcement of the security unit to comb the forest to apprehend the criminals.
Comments 1