Members of the Oke-Oha Village in the Imeko Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State were left in shock after the body of the community chief, Ogunleye Olaegbe, was discovered on his farmland.

PUNCH Metro gathered that villagers found the chief lying in a pool of blood about noon on Wednesday.

The Ogun State Police Command, confirming the incident to our correspondent on Thursday, disclosed that the 49-year-old man was shot dead by suspected herdsmen.

The Baale was said to have been attacked by the gunmen while he was working on his farm.

A source, involved in the investigation, who pleaded to remain anonymous, told PUNCH Metro that the Baale was shot multiple times, dragged off his farm, and abandoned in a nearby bush.

The spokesperson for the state command, Omolola Odutola, said an assessment of the crime scene indicated that the community chief had been shot in the chest before being left in the bush.

Odutola stated, “A community member alerted the Imeko Police Division about the incident. Ogunleye Olaegbe, aged 49, the Baale of C.A.C. Oke-Oha Village, was attacked by unidentified gunmen, suspected to be herdsmen while working on his farm.

“Upon receiving the report, policemen and other security personnel proceeded to the crime scene. On arrival, it was discovered that during the attack, he had been dragged from his farm into a nearby bush, where he was shot in the chest, resulting in his death. Photographs were taken, and the corpse was evacuated to the Ayetoro General Hospital mortuary for an autopsy.

“A preliminary investigation has commenced, and efforts are in top gear to apprehend the perpetrators. The area is under close surveillance to prevent any breakdown of law and order.”

Wednesday’s incident is one of a series of attacks allegedly carried out by herdsmen in the local government area. Many of the casualties are farmers, including community leaders.

A youth leader from the Coalition of Youth Groups in the local government, Olutunde Aninkan, voiced his concerns during a 2021 interview, decrying the ongoing attacks on villagers by suspected herdsmen.

“I can say the losses are colossal and monumental because lives have been lost, killings are incessant, and these attacks by the Fulani people go unchallenged.

“When you encounter them on your farm destroying your crops, you dare not confront them. They carry daggers, knives, and sometimes even guns. They are brazen, moving about with weapons, destroying farmland, and eating cassavas and yams. When you raise the alarm, there’s no meaningful solution,” said Aninkan. (The PUNCH, but headline rejigged)