A man of God identified as Pastor Pius Eromosele, was killed at his farm at Odighi in Ovia North East local government area of Edo state.
It is also reported that another farmer, was also found to have been killed and whose identity could not be ascertained, was buried inside the bush. The unidentified farmer was found by a search party, comprising of hunters and local vigilante, who went into the bush to look for Pastor Eromosele.
According to the statement of the Eldest son of the late Pastor, Dr Richard Eromosele, he said his father was abducted on Thursday, March 29 and was found already decomposing in the bush on Tuesday, April 3rd.
Dr Richard said he almost passed out when he saw the way his father was brutally murdered.
Dr Richard told reporters that his father's skull was cut through after they shot him at close range.
He said that he reported the incident to the police and was referred to the anti-kidnapping unit, but the police did not do anything about it to rescue his father.
According to Richard's statement, he got to know about this incident through two of his father's workers Kingsley and Akpan ,who manage to escape the incident.
“Last Thursday, my mother called that she had been calling my father and that he was not picking, she later called and my father picked and told her that herdsmen had kidnapped him at his farm", according to Dr Richard.
He said the herdsmen were using his father's phone and one of his father's workers to communicate with them.
Richard started that they demanded a price tag of N4m from them and they beg them that they can't get that amount because it a holiday.
“I went to the police and they told me that I should call them whenever the herdsmen called for ransom payment. I did that but there was no response from the police", said Richard.
He state that, his father was accused by the herdsmen that he was one of those killing their cows.
It was after the police failed to find their father that they beg the vigilante and hunters who find him during the search party.
His skull was cut out with a cutlass while his hands were also cut. “We want security agencies to protect farmers in Odighi.
He said his father has farmed in that place all his life.
How could I go into farming when my father was killed like a pig.”
Edo State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, could not be reached for his response as at the time of filing in the report.
