The inhabitants of Agbede community in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State have raised the concern over the spate of kidnapping and killing in the community and its surrounding villages by suspected herdsmen.

The community in their protest match to draw the attention of the Inspector General of Police, alleged that the inhabitants of the area have been under siege by herdsmen who have been kidnapping for ransom, killing and maiming those who could not pay ransom, raping women and dislodging farmers from their farmlands.

According to the community in the letter to the IG, the people of the Agbede and its surrounding villages, including Odighie, Egono and Awain all in Etsako West local government have been under siege in the past two months and all efforts to get the assistance of the police in the area have all ended in futilities.

?The entire area has been gripped by fear as Fulani herders, which we believe were being backed by corrupt police officers wreaked havoc on innocent civilians.

?Farm destructions, killings, rapes, and kidnapping for ransom have become disturbingly common and

the police, instead of protecting the communities, they seem to be aiding and abetting the Fulani herders against the aborigines.

?The DPO at the Agbede Police Station, the Police Area Command in Auchi, and the Zone Five Office in Benin are not helping matters as we are suspecting them to be backing the herders with lining orders which is now creating fear amongst the people over their genuine protection and safety.

A member of the community who spoke for the community and did not want his name on the print disclosed to our correspondent that the police are using blackmail, harassment, and detention to intimidate vigilantes and hunters who dare to challenge the Fulani invaders.

The man alleged that they are forced to sign undertakings not to confront the herders, effectively stripping the communities of their right to self-defense, adding that the situation is made worse as those arrested in connection with these atrocities are released within a few hours of arrest.

According to the man, the people of Agbede, Odighie, Egono, and neighboring communities, are living in palpable fear, unable to farm, travel, or go about their daily lives without fear of attack.

?The destruction of farms and livestock have led to significant economic losses, pushing many families in the community to the brink of poverty.

?We have every reason to accuse the police personnel in the Agbede Police division of conniving with the kidnappers following the way and manner they treated one Mamudu Momoh who reported a case of attack against the herdsmen and was later made the accused.

?Mamudu Momoh was attacked in his farm after he met some herdsmen taken over the farms, uprooting his cassava to feed their cows and in the process he was attacked and injured by the heldsmen and he went to Agbede Police division to incident the case.

?The case was later turned against him, he was arrested and taken to Zone 5 where he was detained and the community spent a lot of money to secure his release.

?There is another farmer in the community, Idris, who has been kidnapped by the herdsmen for over a month now and ransom has been paid, the man is yet to be released up till today.

?We are asking the Inspector General of Police to withdraw the DPO of the Agbede Police division who is a Northerner without which the Agbede community will never know peace in the hands of the herdsmen who are everywhere in our bush claiming to be hunters.

?Without the police withdrawing their support for the herdsmen, the community can never ask the Fulani herders to leave our community and with the herdsmen laying siege in our community, the attack on the community will never end?

When contacted, CSP Moses Joel Yamu, Police Public Relations Officer, Edo State Command debunked the allegations, saying that the officers and men of Agbede Police division have been working round the clock to deal with the herdsmen situation in the area.

He said the police in Agbede with a back up from Auchi Area command have arrested over ten suspected kidnappers in that axis who are currently being investigated.

CSP Yamu also said that the Agbede community were not fair to the police in their protest, especially to the zone 5 Command, saying that the AIG of the zone has just assumed duty in less than two weeks and for the community to be accusing the police of aiding and abetting herdsmen in their areas is unfair.

Yamu said the Edo State police command will continue to make efforts to repel the menace of kidnapping and other criminal activities in the state. (Daily Sun)

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