No fewer than five persons have reportedly been killed during the communal crisis in Ondo state.
DECENCY GLOBAL NEWS reports that the Ondo State Police Command said it had arrested seven persons in connection with the communal clash which occurred at Gbalegi community in the Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State on Friday.
We gathered that a violent clash occurred as a result of the boundary dispute between Idanre and Akure communities.
A reliable source disclosed that tension had been mounting for days in the communities in the border area before the matter degenerated into a deadly clash on Friday.
The source said, “Those killed were initially taken to the nearby police station before they were taken to a morgue of a hospital in Akure.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, who confirmed the incident in a chat with our correspondent on Friday, said the command had quickly swung into action as it sent its men to the scene to calm the situation.
She said, “We received a distress call that a group of thugs mobilised themselves to Gbalegi area (a disputed land between Akure and Idanre) attacking the people of the said area.
“The police, on receipt of the information, moved to the scene and arrested seven people who were in possession of charms and seven single barrel guns with cache of live ammunition and expended ones, the police further combed the nearby bush areas and found four corpses with bullet wounds.”
According to her, the CP had called for caution in handling cases related to boundary issues and urged communities involved in land disputes to “approach the law court for proper redress rather than resorting to self-help or violence.”
