Herdsmen on rampage in Ekiti, kill two monarchs, kidnap school children

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have laid siege to Ekiti, abducting and killing two traditional rulers, in addition to an earlier kidnap of some pupils from a private school in the state within a space of two days.

On Tuesday, two monarchs; identified as the Elesun of Esun-Ekiti and the Onimojo of Imojo-Ekiti were shot dead.

The incident was said to have happened between Oke-Ako and Ipao-Ekiti in Ajoni Local Government Area of the state.

According to local Oodua News, another monarch, Alara of Ara in Ikole LG,  however, narrowly escaped when the armed men accosted them and attempted to forcefully take them away.

“They were all travelling together. The armed herdsmen stopped them and rained bullets on them. They took their personal belongings and dragged their bodies into the bush,” Oodua News quoted a source as saying.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Ajoni Local Council Development Area, Micheal Ogungbemi, in whose domain the incident took place, said that the bodies of the two obas had been recovered from the scene and taken to a mortuary.

The council boss explained that information indicated that the traditional rulers, who were coming from Kogi State, were attacked in the Oke Ako area.

In a similar incident, some school children were kidnapped in Ekiti by unknown gunmen, on Monday night.

The gunmen reportedly abducted six pupils and three teachers of a private school and their bus driver while they were returning from Eporo-Ekiti on Monday night.

According to a post by Ekititrends on its X account on Tuesday, the incident involved students from Apostolic Faith School, Ekiti.

However, hours after the incident, the Ekiti State Government called on residents of the state not to despair as security has been stepped up to rescue them.

The state governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, urged the citizens of the state not to despair over Monday’s kidnapping of some school pupils and their teachers in Emure- Ekiti.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the governor assured them that efforts are on to rescue the children and their teachers.

Oyebanji also described the kidnap as callous and unacceptable, saying nothing would be spared in the efforts to rescue them.

“Security agencies in the state are already on the trail of the abductors with a mandate to bring the pupils and their teachers back safely.

“Governor Oyebanji said security is being stepped up across the state with a view to flushing out criminal elements from their hideouts.

“While calling on the citizens to remain calm and vigilant, he urged them to cooperate with security agencies, by making available relevant information to the authorities,” the Ekiti Government said.

Oyebanji pledged a swift and comprehensive rescue operation to ensure the safe return of the abducted children.