Residents of Ose Local Council Area of Ondo have cried out to the state government to protect them from incessant attacks, killings, destructions and abductions by suspected herdsmen.

The aggrieved residents in a “save our soul” protest to the state secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Akure, on Thursday, decried how the suspected herdsmen have been terrorising their communities.

They identified the communities as; Ijagba, Imoru Arimogija, Ute, Molege, and Okelusi, among others.

Sunday Ogoh, a spokesperson for the protesting communities, revealed that the unwholesome activities of the armed men have become worrisome.

Mr Ogoh described the attackers as terrorists, saying the residents of the communities, who are mostly farmers could no longer sleep.

“As we speak, we can’t even visit our farms because of these attacks. These gunmen who are herdsmen have taken over everywhere. They always hide by the farm road and swap on our people and abduct them for ransom,” he told reporters.

According to him, their protest was triggered by a fresh attack on one of the residents of the community.

He said the victim, Ohiremen Isaac Odeh, a local farmer in Ijagba, was waylaid and kidnapped by the gunmen and later killed after ransom of four hundred thousand naira.

While stressing that the sad incidents have destabilised the community, Mr Ogoh noted that many residents now live in palpable fear due to threats from the attackers.

“In the last two years, we have lost over 20 community members to the incessant attacks. Aside from Mr Odeh, we lost one of our brothers, Bola Adelegbe to the attacks by the gunmen.

“As a result of this, we are appealing to the state government to give urgently come to our aid. They should give us a strong military base that would be manning our roads to reduce this incessant kidnapping and killings in our communities,” he added.

He further noted that there was a need to allow the state government and the whole world to know what was going on in the affected communities.

Mr Ogoh, however, revealed that the incessant attacks and kidnappings by the gunmen have forced the farmers to abandon their farmlands.

“We have written the state government on several occasions but we are not getting the response we want. So, we want security provide for us because we are tired.

“And one of their hideouts is the tick forest in Okeluse, which they use as their den.”

He added, “Anytime they are kidnapped, they will always ask for ransom and if you don’t give them the money within two days, they will kill the victim. We have been experiencing this for the last two years now.”

Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, the spokesperson for the police in Ondo, confirmed the attacks on the residents of the communities.

Mrs Odunlami-Omisanya said that the police had been after the perpetrators, vowing that “they would be brought to book soon.”