Five people have been killed and ten others injured following a land dispute between Akure and Idanre communities in Ondo State.

Tension had reportedly been building for days before the conflict escalated into a deadly clash on Friday. The communities have been at odds over ownership of the disputed Gbalegi village for years, it was gathered.

In the wake of the violence, the Ondo State Police Command confirmed the arrest of seven suspects connected to the incident. According to police sources, the suspects were found in possession of charms, seven single-barrel guns, live ammunition, and expended cartridges.

The Gbalegi village has been abandoned by residents as a result of the violence, with police detectives deployed to the area to restore order.

Eyewitnesses revealed that angry youths transported the corpses of the deceased to a police station to protest the killings before moving them to the state specialist hospital morgue in Akure, the state capital.

Speaking on the incident, the spokesperson for the state police command, Funmi Odunlami, confirmed the deaths and the arrests.

Odunlami stated: ?The police command received a distress call that a group of thugs had mobilized themselves to Gbalegi area (a disputed land between Akure and Idanre), attacking the people of the said area.

?Upon receiving the information, police officers moved to the scene and arrested seven suspects. They were in possession of charms, seven single-barrel guns, live ammunition, and expended cartridges. Further searches of nearby bushes revealed four corpses with bullet wounds.?

The state?s police commissioner, Wilfred Afolabi, has called for restraint in handling boundary disputes, urging communities to seek legal resolutions instead of resorting to violence. (Vanguard)

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