Tension gripped Roro village in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State after a cattle herder’s son was reported missing and later found dead in a shallow grave.
The victim, who was initially feared to have been abducted amid rumours of a possible Fulani herder invasion, was later confirmed to have been killed by a farmer and hunter, Taiwo Amos.
Amos, a widower and father of three, confessed to the crime before the community could take an oath to expose the culprit. He told investigators that he was compelled by “a voice in his head” to attack the boy, insisting that the victim and his cattle had not wronged him.
“I hurriedly went after him and killed him. He didn’t offend me, and his cows didn’t eat my crops,” Amos confessed. He admitted burying the boy in a shallow grave and cutting his legs after he became too tired to dig further.
The Baale of Abule Akin, Chief Fatai Akande Adebayo, said hunters and police initially struggled to identify the culprit until Amos voluntarily confessed, reportedly out of fear of an oath-taking ritual. He explained that wandering cattle led security operatives to the area, while he himself consulted Sango, the Yoruba god of thunder, in seeking answers.
The Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, confirmed that Amos was in custody. He assured residents that calm had been restored to the area, with the weapons used in the killing recovered and tactical teams deployed on patrol.
“The situation is calm and under control. The corpse has been exhumed and given a proper burial at the request of the family,” Ogunlowo said, urging residents to report grievances through lawful channels rather than resort to violence.
The incident has reignited concerns over violent clashes between farmers and herders in the state, with police reiterating their commitment to preventing reprisals.
