On Monday, February 24, 2025, two farmers, Philip Batemue and Christopher Bello, were reported dead in Okpekpe community, Etsako East Local Government Area, Edo State, by gunmen who were thought to be herdsmen.
The victims were slaughtered on their farms, it was learned. The Edo State Police Command confirmed the event, saying that security officers from the Uzanu station who were sent to the scene found the dead remains of the farmers who had been killed.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, issued a brief statement, saying, “Security arrangements in the area have been reviewed, and officers have been ordered to go after the criminals and prevent a recurrence.”
Yamu went on to say that the community’s traditional leader reported the deaths to the command, telling them that two of his subjects had been attacked and killed by suspected herdsmen on their farms.
