Four farmers have been arrested for allegedly killing and dismembering one herder, Umaru Aliyu, at Ijagunre Village in Imeko-Afon Local Area of Ogun State.
The four farmers, Akinyele Adebayo, Gbalo Idosu, Abiala Segun and Kareem Fagbemi Lana, were arrested by operatives of the state police command.
The state police image-maker, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, stated in a release, AZ:5310/OGS/PRO/VOL.7/222.22/05/2023, that the four farmers were arrested following a report lodged by one Umaru Jakake.
Jakake reported that while he and his brother, Umaru Aliyu, were grazing their cattle at Ijagunre Village, they were accosted by one Ojugbele who warned them not to take their cattle near his farm.
He stated further that, upon the warning, they took their cattle to the other side of the bush for grazing.
Jakake added that the said Ojugbele later called another two men who started chasing them about in the bush.
The complainant further stated that he managed to escape, but the whereabout of his brother, Umaru Aliyu, is yet to be known since then.
“Upon the report, the case was incidented at the Imeko Divisional Police Headquarters.
“However, it was transferred to State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID, Eleweran for discreet investigation on the order of the state Commissioner of Police.
“The case was assigned to the SP Kehinde Beyioku-led homicide section who there and then embarked on technical and intelligence-based investigation to unravel the whereabout of the missing herdsman.
“The investigation led to the arrest of one the farmers, Kareem Fagbemi Lana, who confessed to the police that it was one Ojugbele who called him from his own farm to inform him of the presence of herdsmen in their farm vicinity.
“He further stated that Ojugbele said he should come and join him to chase them away.
“He confessed further that he also called another farmer, Abiala Segun, who came with his dane gun and the three of them started chasing the herdsmen.
“While chasing them, Kareem Fagbemi Lana collected the dane gun and shot one of the herdsmen, Umaru Aliyu, to death.
“After killing him, they invited another farmer, Akinyele Adebayo, whose farm is nearby and informed him of the incident.
“It was Akinyele Adebayo who helped them to dismember the body after telling them that he needed the head of the deceased for certain ritual and they all agreed with him to take it.
“They then took the remaining parts of the body to Tamake Town and buried it in front of Gbalo Idosu’s house.
“The confession of Kareem Fagbemi Lana led to the arrest of the three other farmers, while Ojugbele is still on the run,” Oyeyemi stated.
He added that the deceased’s head and other body parts have been recovered by the policemen.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Olanrewaju Oladimeji, has commended the homicide team for the painstaking investigation.
He has ordered a massive manhunt for the fleeing member of the gang to be brought to book.
The Commissioner of Police also ordered that the arrested four farmers be charged to court as soon as investigation has been concluded.
