Firdaus Obiremi
A money dispute between two neighbours has allegedly turned fatal in Akinlalu, Osun State, after a farmer, identified as Samson Gabriel, was reportedly hacked to death with a machete by his neighbour, Lekan Oyebamiji.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, reportedly sparked tension in the community, with some residents said to have fled their homes for fear of being caught up in police investigations.
The Osun State Police Command confirmed the arrest of the suspected assailant, disclosing that investigations had commenced to unravel the circumstances surrounding the killing.
A resident of the community, Tayo Rasheed, who spoke on the incident, said the deceased and the suspect were neighbours whose disagreement over money allegedly escalated into a violent confrontation.
According to him, Oyebamiji allegedly reached for a machete during the argument and inflicted several injuries on Gabriel.
“He macheted Gabriel to death. Gabriel was a farmer. They had a disagreement, but I may not be able to state the details of what led to it.
“They are neighbours. Many people living close to them have fled their homes to avoid being arrested by the police. During the argument, the suspect reached for his cutlass and inflicted several cuts on the deceased.
“He severed his wrist and left several open wounds on the head and other parts of the deceased’s body,” Rasheed said.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer of the Osun State Command, Abiodun Ojelabi, said the killing followed a disagreement over money between the two neighbours.
Ojelabi, who confirmed that the suspect had been arrested, said the police had commenced investigations into the incident.
“There was an argument over money between them. It was during the disagreement that Lekan Oyebamiji took his machete and attacked Samson Gabriel.
“The two men are neighbours. The deceased is identified as Samson Gabriel. The suspect is Lekan Oyebamiji. Gabriel was macheted to death and the incident occurred on Saturday.
“The suspect has been arrested. Investigation is still ongoing. The police will examine the corpse; an autopsy will be carried out to establish the cause of death,” the police spokesperson said.
The police are expected to conduct a post-mortem examination as part of efforts to establish the medical cause of death and gather further evidence surrounding the killing.
The incident comes amid another reported death involving a farm worker in Osun State.
PLATFORM TIMES recalls that a Benue-born man identified simply as Saviour, who worked as a farmhand in Orile-Owu, was earlier found hanging from a tree in the Alagbede area of the community.
The police had also announced the commencement of an investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
.....
