By Duchess Ifeoluwa 

Tension escalated in Ogbese community on Tuesday morning as youths and residents barricaded the busy Akure-Owo highway in protest over the alleged killing of a farmer by suspected Fulani herdsmen.

The demonstrators blocked the strategic road, grounding vehicular movement and stranding commuters for hours, as they demanded urgent security intervention to safeguard lives and property in the area.

Ogbese, a boundary community between Ondo and Ekiti states along the Akure-Owo axis, has in recent times witnessed heightened security concerns linked to attacks on farmers.

Residents alleged that the victim was attacked on Monday night while riding to his farm camp.

According to community sources, the killing has heightened fear among locals, many of whom depend on farming for their livelihood.

Protesters insisted that the barricade was aimed at drawing government attention to what they described as persistent threats to their safety, stressing their right to sleep peacefully and pursue lawful activities without fear of kidnapping or murder.

The highway was completely blocked with makeshift barricades, preventing vehicles from passing through and creating heavy traffic along the route.

Commuters travelling between Akure and Owo were left stranded as the protest paralysed movement on the busy corridor.

A public transporter, Mr Sunday Olola, who plies the Akure–Owo route daily, told Nigerian Monitor that he had been held up at the same spot in Ogbese for over an hour due to the barricade.

He lamented that passengers were becoming increasingly frustrated as there was no clear indication of when the road would be reopened.

Olola noted that the disruption was worsened by the fact that Tuesday is the community’s market day, leading to heightened commercial activity and congestion within the town.

According to him, the influx of traders and buyers made it practically impossible for motorists to navigate alternative internal routes.

“With today being market day, everywhere is congested. There is no way to manoeuvre through the inner roads. We are just stuck here,” he said.

Reacting to the development, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, confirmed that the Command had received a report of a violent attack which occurred on March 2, 2026, at about 9:00 p.m. along Agunla Farm Road.

According to the police spokesperson, the incident was reported at approximately 9:30 p.m. by a concerned citizen.

He stated that preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased, identified as Ben Daniels, and one James Unekwu were riding a motorcycle to a camp when they were allegedly attacked by unknown gunmen.

The PPRO noted that Unekwu reportedly escaped, while Daniels was killed and his body dumped by the roadside.

Police operatives were said to have mobilised promptly to the scene, evacuated the corpse and deposited it at a mortuary for preservation and autopsy.

Jimoh disclosed that the escaped victim is currently in protective custody as investigations continue amid rising tension and suspicion within the community.

The Command urged residents to remain calm and desist from blocking highways or engaging in actions capable of disrupting public peace, noting that such activities infringe on the rights of other road users.

It assured that due process would be followed to ensure that those responsible for the crime are apprehended and prosecuted.