Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Many persons have been feared killed in Gbelemotin community in Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State following a clash between some alleged produce thieves believed to be Izon boys and some cocoa farmers in the locality.
It was gathered that the incident that happened on Thursday to Friday night, also left many houses razed down in the attack and counter attacks.
A source in the locality who did not want his name mentioned, said that the crisis started on Thursday when an Ikale cocoa farmer hired some vigilantes to guard his cocoa farm which has been under heavy poaching by some suspected Izon boys.
The vigilantes were said to have killed four of the Izon boys.
The Friday morning counter attack, the source said, was carried out by some Izon boys sympathetic to the four allegedly killed by the vigilantes.
“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 yet to be 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 loses.” The source said.
Contacted, the Edo State Police command image maker, SP Moses Yamu, said that he was yet to be briefed just as he promised to call the Iguobazuwa Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for confirmation.
When he was contacted again, the Edo PPRO said that the Iguobazuwa DPO had not picked his calls nor called back.