Residents of Gbolomotin in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State have distanced themselves from the recent killings that resulted from a clash between them and migrant cocoa farmers.
According to the Edo State Police Command, seven people were confirmed dead, while a statement from the state government placed the number at 22.
Though no arrests have been made, the police have assured that efforts are ongoing to apprehend those responsible.
In a statement released on Sunday, Karaem Ebimobobowei, speaking on behalf of the Gbolomotin community, claimed that the conflict originated from land disputes.
He explained that migrant cocoa farmers had encroached on their ancestral land years ago to cultivate cocoa and were required to pay a token as compensation for using the land.
However, tensions escalated over time, with allegations that the farmers formed a vigilante group that began attacking indigenous youths and restricting their movement.
Ebimobobowei stated that the cocoa farmers gradually expanded beyond the agreed boundaries, encroaching on land reserved for Ijaw communities.
He further alleged that the farmers accused local Ijaw farmers of stealing cocoa, an accusation he dismissed as baseless.
“Our people have no involvement in the killings. The cocoa farmers have not only taken over our land but also barred our people from using roads and footpaths leading to other Ijaw communities. They brand anyone they see as a thief, assaulting and injuring them, including women,” the statement read.
The situation, he said, worsened last year when a young Ijaw man returning from a funeral in Jide Village was allegedly killed by the vigilante group.
Attempts by an eyewitness to report the case to the police resulted in his arrest on false charges, which the community believes indicates bias from the authorities.
Ebimobobowei further alleged that an Urhobo youth harvesting palm trees was also shot dead by a vigilante, but the case was ignored by law enforcement.
The most recent violence, he explained, erupted when Ijaw youths attempted to rescue their kinsmen who had been attacked.
In the process, they were ambushed by the cocoa farmers and their vigilante group.
“When word of the attack reached our village, our youths mobilized to search for the missing persons. During their search, they were ambushed again, but they fought back and managed to rescue two severely wounded victims who had been left for dead.
“In the end, we lost four of our youths, and two of their bodies were taken away by the retreating vigilantes. Many others sustained gunshot wounds,” the statement added.
Ebimobobowei accused a vigilante leader named Igbala of using his position to harass women and youths in the community.
He urged the government and security agencies to conduct a thorough investigation, insisting that the Ijaw people have the right to live and work peacefully in their homeland.