By Ajibola Olubode
Armed herdsmen on Wednesday night invaded an ancient community in Ekiti State. They killed a young boy, Wasiu Omotoyinbo after which they kidnapped a Pastor and his wife. The kidnapped couple was Pastor and Mrs Emmanuel of Blessed Hope Evangelical Ministry, Itapaji Ekiti.
The victim shot dead is the immediate junior brother of an All Progressives Congress, (APC) Chieftain Mr Deji Omotoyinbo in Itapaji-Ekiti, the town where the gory incidence took place around 8pm on Wednesday.
Irohinoodua was informed that the armed men believed to be Fulani were seen loitering in the community in the twilight of Wednesday raising suspicion of locals. Around 9pm in the night, they attacked a local Church where night vigil and prayers were being offered to God, witnesses said.
Eye witness accounts said immediately the herdsmen struck, they shot into the air but they had escaped before local security men armed with dane guns rushed into the area. ‘He was already shot when we got there. Our first priority was to see how we could revive him instead of chasing the armed men with the little guards and ammunition we had. After trying to revive him for about 15 minutes without success, we knew the chances of his survival was lean. The next hospital to our community is some 15kilometres away.’
He said the Local Government Chairman, Prince Ogungbemi has done a lot to address the security problem in the area by setting up EBORA but that the local security outfit still requires a lot of logistics and equipment to be able to meet security challenges.
Our correspondent was informed that the armed men shot Wasiu three times. Itapaji is located in Ward 12 area of Ajoni Local Government of Ekiti State, few miles away from Eruku in Kwara State to the North and Ogbe in Kogi State to the East.
Though the town has no police station inspite of several requests made in the past 20 years to the police authority to set up an outpost in the community. A community leader in the town, Jacob Erinfolami said several requests have been forwarded to the police to establish a security post without success.
Our correspondent was informed that the State Governor, Abiodun Oyebanji had recently met with the traditional ruler of communities in the Ekamarun which included Itapaji during which he promised to establish a security post in the six communities.