A mysterious thunder on Sunday struck the Ori-Ohin community in Ifon, Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, killing no fewer than eight cows. 

A video of the fresh incident was released on social media on Monday, with the people and leaders of the agrarian community suggesting that the disaster was due to the desecration of sacred farmland by the Fulani herders.

Peoples Gazette gathered that the farmland in the Ori-hin community was ceded to some Ebira-speaking indigenes from Kogi State for farming, but the farmers had not been enjoying their produce following constant destruction from cows.

A resident of the community, Joshua Ogunmola, confirmed the incident and said the herders had been flouting the open grazing laws by leaving their cows to graze on farmlands and destroying crops. 

Mr Ogunmola said the farmers, angered by the activities of the herders after reporting to the security agencies with less attention, decided to go spiritual to scare the herders away from their farm. 

“The cows had earlier destroyed farmland in the community, and it appeared the sacrifice made by the owners of the farmlands caused the thunder to strike,” he told The Gazette in a chat. 

A spokesperson for the traditional ruler in the community, who spoke in confidence, said the mysterious incident occurred because the herders trespassed into the farmlands of the Ebira farmers.

He stressed that the herders had repeatedly been warned to stay off farmlands despite the government prohibiting open grazing and livestock movement.

“We woke up this morning only to be told that thunder or lightning killed eight cows in Ori-Ohin. The news filtered in when we were about to pray. It’s unfortunate, but these people keep flouting the state livestock rearing and grazing regulation and ranches establishment law 2021,” he said. 

A police spokesperson in the state, Alayande Olushola Adeyinka, when contacted, confirmed the incident, describing it as a “natural phenomenon.”

“I can confirm that eight cows were killed by a thunder strike yesterday (Sunday) in the community. It’s a natural phenomenon, and we can’t hold anyone responsible for that act,” Mr Adeyinka told The Gazette. 

He, however, said the police had deployed security operations to the community in the past few weeks following complaints over the activities of herders and bandits.

“So, we did not foresee any possible breakdown of law and order. Our men have been in the town for two weeks, carrying out soft operations to avoid any security breaches and clashes,” the police spokesperson said.

A similar incident occurred in 2019 at the ‘sacred’ Oke-Owa hill in Ijare, Ifedore Local Government Area, where 36 cows belonging to Fulani herdsmen were struck dead by lightning.

The villagers where the past incident occurred had linked it to the “anger of the gods” in the local community. 

Another incident occurred a month later at Oyinmo quarters in Ikare Akoko, the headquarters of Akoko North East Local Government Area of Ondo State, where a mysterious thunder also killed eight cows on a mountain. 

The cattle owned by some Fulani herdsmen were struck dead while grazing on top of the mountain. The herders immediately fled the scene after the incident.