A local hunter in Ifira Akoko, in Akoko South East Local Government Area of Ondo State, Seyi Sansere, on Tuesday, shot dead a Fulani herdsman, Muhammed Maikudi, while grazing his cows in the forest reserves in the area.

A source informed that the suspect shot dead the herder and ran away but said it could not be confirmed if the attack was deliberate or accidental.

According to him, the 24-year old Maikudi who hailed from Katsina State was said to be engaged by a Fulani man from Ilorin, Kwara State, Alhaji Akerele, to graze his cows before he met his untimely death.

He, however, said it was not confirmed if the father of two had an altercation with the suspect before he was shot but confirmed that the suspect had been arrested.

The suspect was apprehended by the men of the Amotekun corps and policemen in the area, who quickly waded into the matter and deposited the remains of the deceased at the hospital morgue in the area.

He, however, said the kinsman of the deceased have made entreaties to the police for the release of the victim remains for burial in line with Islamic rites.

Confirming the incident, the leader of the Hausa Fulani community in the state, Bala Umar, said the cause and motive behind the killing remained unknown but said the security operatives have taken over the investigation into the killing.

He noted that there was growing tension in the community over the killing of the herder but Umar appealed to Fulani settlers in the area to be calm, warning them not to take laws into their hands while he assured that the police will unravel the motive behind the killing.

He said the police and Amotekun operatives are already on top of the situation and assured that justice will be done on the matter.

“The suspect has been transferred to the state police headquarters in Akure for more investigations. We have appealed to our people to be calm because we know that the government and security agencies will do justice to the case,” he said.

However, the spokesperson of the Ondo Police Command, Tee Leo Ikoro, said he was yet to be briefed on the incident.

The state commander of Amotekun Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, who also confirmed the incident, said his men were not involved in the shooting of the late herder but only worked with the police to ensure there is peace in the area after the incident.

He said it was not a case of herders/ farmers clash, saying the ugly incident happened while Sansere was on a hunting expedition in the forest.

He expressed optimism that the police will do justice to the case, assuring of the government’s readiness to protect all law-abiding citizens in the state.

“It was a local hunter who shot dead the young herder. Our operatives were not involved. We only made efforts to ensure there is peace in the community,” Adeleye said. (Tribune Online)

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