Crime & Court
Herdsmen took turns to rape me in my farm
A 72-year-old grandmother, Victoria Akinseye, was in tears as she displayed the torn under wears she wore the day suspected herdsmen took turns to rape her on her farm in Ore, Odigbo council area of Ondo State.
Victoria said the herdsmen had done the unthinkable and would reap the fruit of their wickedness to her. Actually two women were raped same day at different farms and times in the agrarian community by suspected herdsmen. The other victim, Ebun Olarewaju, is much younger.
Early this month, a farmer, identified as Orimisan Omowole, was also hacked to death by suspected herdsmen in the town. Narrating her ordeal, Akinseye said, “I was working on my farm when two men attacked me from behind, held my neck such that I couldn’t ask for help.
They tore my clothes and took turns to rape me.” According to her, a fellow farmer who was on his way to his farm later that day saw her where the herdsmen had abandoned her after the rape and took her home. She said her life had not remained the same since after the rape. ‘“When we reported the incident to our monarch, we were told I must do a sacrifice, to prevent any bad occurrence in my family.
I even had to beg for money to buy items for the ritual. My life is in ruins”. The septuagenarian farmer said she had however cursed those who raped her for their wickedness to “an old woman who could have been of the same age with their mothers.” Disturbed by the latest development, youths and farmers across the 18 council areas of the state marched through the streets of Akure, the state capital, protesting the menace of herdsmen. For hours, the protesters disrupted business and commercial activities.
The protesters, acting under the auspices of Ondo State Youth Coalition, OSYC, threatened “to take the law into their hands if the state government failed to address the issue immediately”. They described herdsmen’s activities as dangerous and a signal of imminent crisis in Ondo State. Their spokesperson, Olusola Adekanmbi, said herdsmen had “not only raped and destroyed farms in the state, they had also resorted to killing, terrorising and kidnapping farmers on their farmlands”.
He went on: “One of the farmers, Orimisan Omowole, was murdered in his farm in Odigbo local government area of the state. “After killing him, they took out his heart and placed it on his chest “We are not against cattle rearing or saying cattle rearing should be banned but we want free grazing of cattle in our farms at our expense with wanton destruction of our crops and means of livelihood to be stopped forthwith. “Cattle-rearing is a legitimate and profitable business. “But it is not acceptable for cattle-rearers to do their business at our expense and even at the expense of our lives and security.
“We believe the herdsmen have refused to do what civilised herdsmen do worldwide by confining their cattle to ranches and similar enclosure because to do so would mean their having to bear the cost of feeding their cattle”. The protesters pleaded with Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and the state House of Assembly to enact a law to stop incessant attacks by herdsmen in order to protect farmers and their farms and to ensure security of lives.
“The herdsmen are trying to make farming impossible for our people who are now afraid to go to their farms”, the OSYC leader said. “The Fulani herdsmen have become terrorists who attack, kill, maim and rape our women and even burn their farms. “They are taking advantage of our civilised way of life for cowardice but if we are pushed beyond our tolerant threshold, we can be militant as the other groups and they should take notice that terror breeds terror.” Meanwhile, the state government is said to be proposing an anti – open grazing bill to curtail herdsmen’s attacks in Ondo. Sources close to government said cases of destruction of farmlands, incessant attacks and killing of farmers and rape of women in the last three weeks was worrisome.
Speaking with Sunday Vanguard, the Senior Special Assistant to the State Governor on Agriculture, Mr. Akin Olotu, said the menace of herdsmen was getting out of hand, saying no fewer than four farmers were killed in the last three weeks by suspected herdsmen. Apart from this, Olotu said about ten hectares of cassava farmland was destroyed by suspected herdsmen and their cattle in Owo while some farmers were injured during the attack. He said the activities of herdsmen were not limited to a particular area in the state but across the state.
“The state government is worried about this development. Though herdsmen are doing their business, they have been using their business to destroy other businesses. “The destruction of farmlands has been a source of concern to farmers in the state, while those who are just embracing farming, as a source of livelihood, have been discouraged. “Farmers have lost a lot of money to these destructions after obtaining loans from bank to finance farm projects. Farm produce cannot be stored in the barn any longer”.
According to him, ponds and apiary worth millions of Naira were destroyed by cattle and herdsmen in a particular location in the state, saying the fishes were harvested while the honey comb was stolen by the invading herdsmen. He hinted that the state government was proposing anti-open grazing bill to stem down the menace of herdsmen while herdsmen operating in the state and their cows would be registered with codes to identify them.
Olotu, who advocated for the modern method of rearing cattle in the country, called on security agencies and stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the frequent clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the state. Ondo State Police Command confirmed the arrest of some suspects in connection with the killing of the farmer in Ore.
Its image maker Femi Joseph said the command was not folding its hands but working to ensure that the people of the state sleep with their two eyes closed. Joseph promised hard times for criminals in Ondo, advising them to either repent from their evil ways or relocate from the state.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 58-year-old alleged drug lord, Uzoma Valentine Ilomuanya, who had reportedly been on the agency’s wanted list and that of British authorities for over 15 years.
Ilomuanya was apprehended in Lagos on Monday, February 23, 2026, following what the agency described as a high-level, coordinated operation by officers of its Special Operations Unit.
The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Director of Media and Advocacy of the agency, Femi Babafemi.
Babafemi said the suspect’s arrest ended a prolonged manhunt linked to his alleged involvement in drug trafficking activities across Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
According to the statement, Ilomuanya was first arrested in February 2003 in the United Kingdom and convicted for drug trafficking.
He was sentenced to nine years imprisonment but was released after serving two years following a successful appeal.
Babafemi added that the suspect was again arrested in the UK in July 2011 over drug-related offences.
He said, “He was granted administrative bail but jumped jurisdiction and fled to Nigeria.
“Typical of a recidivist, Ilomuanya was in November 2018 arrested in Nigeria by NDLEA operatives following the discovery of two clandestine methamphetamine laboratories in his Obinugwu, Orlu Local Government Area country home in Imo State and at his No. 3 Barrister Declan Uzoma Close, Lagos residence where officers recovered 77.960 kilograms of methamphetamine and extensive production equipment.
“He was subsequently charged before a Federal High Court in Lagos, after which he jumped court bail and has been on the run since then.”
Reacting to the development, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), described the arrest as a major breakthrough in the agency’s ongoing war against drug trafficking networks.
Marwa said the operation demonstrated the agency’s resolve to track down criminal elements regardless of how long they evade the law.
He said, “This arrest serves as a stern warning to those who think they can hide behind borders to escape justice.
“Whether you jump bail in London or set up clandestine labs in your village, the long arm of the NDLEA will eventually catch up with those who choose to undermine the health, security, and future of our nation.
“We remain committed to our international collaborations to ensure that Nigeria is not used as a sanctuary for global drug lords.”
Marwa also commended officers of the Special Operations Unit for their professionalism and persistence in tracking down the suspect.
He added that the agency would continue to strengthen intelligence-driven operations and international cooperation to dismantle drug trafficking networks operating within and beyond Nigeria.
The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday discharged and acquitted a suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, of a 23-count charge bordering on alleged non-declaration of assets filed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
Delivering judgment, Justice James Omotosho held that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations against the defendants.
Kyari was arraigned alongside his two brothers, who were accused of swearing to false affidavits in an alleged attempt to conceal the origin of certain properties.
However, the court ruled that the anti-drug agency failed to establish that the properties allegedly not declared by Kyari were actually owned by him.
Justice Omotosho explained that ownership of landed property could be established through traditional history, title documents, acts of possession, or possession by connection.
According to the judge, the prosecution did not present any of these forms of evidence to prove that the properties located at Fountain Estate in Karsana, said to belong to Ramatu Kyari, were owned by the suspended police officer.
The court also held that the prosecution failed to produce material evidence linking Kyari to properties located on Linda Choko Road in Asokoro, Abuja, as well as properties in Maiduguri, Borno State.
In his defence, Kyari maintained that the properties in Borno State belonged to his late father, who bequeathed them to him and his siblings.
The judge held that the prosecution failed to prove otherwise.
Justice Omotosho also faulted the prosecution for charging Kyari’s brothers with conspiracy, describing the allegation as unsubstantiated.
He described the NDLEA’s case as weak and lacking credible evidence, adding that the defendant had served the country well and should not be subjected to persecution.
The Federal Government yesterday advised Nigerians living in the Middle East, particularly in the Islamic Republic of Iran and neighbouring Gulf states, to take extra security precautions following rising military tensions in the region.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it is closely monitoring developments involving reported military operations carried out by Israel and the United States against targets in Iran, as well as subsequent retaliatory actions affecting parts of the Gulf.
The government urged Nigerians in the affected areas to remain vigilant and avoid strategic or sensitive locations such as military bases and government installations that could become flashpoints for further hostilities.
It also advised citizens to limit non-essential movement and refrain from participating in or attending public gatherings and demonstrations until the security situation stabilises.
“Nigerian citizens are strongly advised to comply with directives issued by local security authorities. Cooperation with host authorities is critical to ensuring personal safety,” the statement said.
Diplomatic missions, including the Nigerian Embassy in Tehran and consular offices in Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, have been placed on high alert to assist Nigerians and facilitate communication where necessary.
The advisory followed reports of airstrikes on sites in Iranian cities, with explosions and plumes of smoke observed in the capital.
United States officials described the operations as efforts to neutralise security threats, while Israeli authorities characterised them as preventive and defensive measures.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States aimed to eliminate what he described as imminent dangers and vowed to destroy missile infrastructure linked to Iran’s defence capabilities. Israeli officials similarly framed the operations as defensive.
International reactions have been cautious. The African Union expressed concern over the potential impact on regional and global stability, urging restraint from all sides.
The European Union also reacted, with European Council President Antonio Costa describing the developments as troubling and confirming that European leaders remain in contact with regional partners.
The Federal Government reiterated that the safety and welfare of Nigerians abroad remain a priority and appealed to all parties involved to de-escalate hostilities and return to dialogue in the interest of global peace and stability.
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