By NewsMata
The Edo State Police Command on Saturday confirmed that five persons were killed and four others injured in the violent clash between cocoa farmers and some alleged produce thieves in the agrarian community of Gbelemotin in Ovia South-West Local Government Area of the state.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that the clash, which started on Thursday night escalated on Friday morning as persons believed to be sympathetic to the victims of Thursday night’s incident, mobilised and launched a reprisal attack on Friday morning,.
It was gathered that many houses were also burnt in the violent confrontations in which some Izon boys were alleged to be the aggressors.
A dependable source in the area who pleaded anonymity, hinted that the crisis started on Thursday when an Ikale cocoa farmer engaged some vigilantes to guard his cocoa farm which had been under massive poaching by some suspected Izon boys.
The vigilantes were said to have killed four of the Izon boys. The Friday morning reprisal attack, the source added, was carried out by some Izon boys sympathetic to the four allegedly killed by the vigilantes.
According to him, “There was fighting yesterday (Friday) in my zone, many are feared killed. A vigilante sponsored by an Ikale man, Igbala, killed four Izon boys two nights ago. “The boys were allegedly stealing produce belonging to the Yoruba. The boys are from Kolombor (Gbelemotin).
“Yesterday (Friday morning, there was a counter attack and some people were killed and houses burnt. The number of casualties on the other side is not yet known.
“Soldiers and other security officers were there yesterday. They moved some bodies but there are still many bodies in the bushes.
“The cocoa these boys were stealing belong to the Yoruba farmers in the area, at Madotti Camp. The Yorubas must have suffered some collateral losses”.
When contacted, the Edo State Police Command Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Moses Yamu, said five persons were confirmed dead while four others were injured in the clash.
In his reaction on Saturday evening, the PPRO said: “Five persons were confirmed dead while four others were injured in a clash between Gbelemotin community and Maidoti community.
“Joint operation with the Army, vigilantes, and other agencies is ongoing as the situation has been brought under control. “Investigation into the cause of the clash has equally commenced”.