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At least seven people have died and six people are severely injured following a conflict between cocoa farmers and hoodlums in the Gbelemotin community, located in Ovia South-West Local Government Area (LGA) of Edo state.
This was revealed via a statement by the state’s police spokesperson, Moses Yamu, on Sunday, February 23.
Yamu, revealed that six people were injured and are currently being treated at an hospital.
The statement read, “On February 21, 2025, at about 10:00hrs, the command received a distress call about an ongoing clash between the Gbelemotin and Madotti communities in Ovia South-West LGA.
“Operatives from the Iguobazuwa Police Division, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army and vigilantes, were promptly deployed to the area.
“The team evacuated some casualties to the hospital, where seven persons were confirmed dead, while six others are currently receiving treatment.
“The joint operation is ongoing, and the situation has been brought under control.
“Meanwhile, an investigation into the cause of the clash has commenced.”
An anonymous male resident stated that the violence started in the late hours of Thursday, February 20 and intensified in the morning of Friday, February 21 when supporters of the original victims launched a counterattack.
He explained that the conflict began when an Ikale cocoa farmer hired vigilantes to protect his farm, which had been repeatedly targeted by suspected Izon youths.
The vigilantes killed four of the suspects during their patrol.
This led to reprisal attacks on Friday, February 21 with suspected Izon youths seeking revenge.
The resident said, “There was fighting in my area on Friday, and many are feared dead.
“Vigilantes hired by an Ikale man, Igbala, killed four Izon boys two nights ago.
“The boys were allegedly stealing cocoa from the farm. The retaliatory attack resulted in more casualties, with some houses set ablaze.
“The exact number of those killed remains unknown.
“Soldiers and other security personnel arrived on Friday and recovered some bodies, but many corpses are still in the bushes.
“The stolen cocoa belonged to Yoruba farmers in Madotti Camp, who may have also suffered collateral losses.”
Yamu further stated that the Commissioner of Police (CP), Betty Otimenyin, has pledged to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the incident, encouraging residents to address their grievances through the proper channels instead of resorting to violence.
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