Youths from Odo Ape community in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State took to the streets on Saturday, blocking the Lokoja-Kabba federal highway to protest the gruesome murder of two farmers by suspected kidnappers. The protest, which began at 8 am, caused hours of gridlock on the busy road before security operatives, vigilantes, and concerned individuals intervened to clear the barricade and restore order.

The community was thrown into mourning on Friday after the killing of two farmers, identified as Mr. Black and Sunday Aiyedero, on their farms. Mr. Black was shot dead by gunmen while transporting farm produce to the market, while Sunday Aiyedero was killed instantly on a nearby farm.

The killings occurred barely a month after gunmen attacked the community and kidnapped a newly elected ward councillor. Residents described the security situation in Odo Ape as alarming and called on the government and security agencies to intervene urgently.

In response to the crisis, the Chairman of Kabba-Bunu Local Government, Barrister Zacchaeus Dare, appealed to the community to provide credible intelligence to aid security operatives. He assured residents that efforts to restore peace were underway, with military, police, hunters, and vigilantes deployed to combat the attacks.

“We have deployed military, police, hunters and local vigilante to restore peace and we assure our people that we would not relent until those criminal elements are kicked out of our environment,” Dare said. He also blamed the security situation on the influx of Fulani herdsmen who passed through the back door into the local government in connivance with some criminal traditional rulers.