Suspected herdsmen kill pregnant woman in Ekiti

Some people suspected to be Fulani herdsmen in the early hours of Thursday killed a pregnant woman in Orin Ekiti in Ido/Osi Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

The eight months pregnant woman is said to be a Tiv woman from Benue State.

It was learnt that the assailants also injured one other person who is receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

The attack came two days before a referendum in the town on the vacant throne of the Olorin. The indigenes are expected to vote “YES” or “NO” on the number of ruling houses in the community.

There are three Ruling Houses in the town: Famokiti, Olubummo and Idimehinsuwon. But there is a controversy over the acceptance of one of the ruling houses.

The Onikare of Orin-Ekiti, High Chief Bamidele Fasuyi, said the referendum will go ahead as planned on Saturday despite the killing incident.

An indigene of the town who is a former Chairman of Ido/Osi Local Government, Prince Sanmi Olubummo, confirmed the attack. He disclosed that another victim of the attack was receiving treatment at a hospital.

Olubummo said policemen from Ido-Ekiti Divisional Headquarters visited the scene of the killing saying the situation was calm.

He said, “The incident happened inside the Orin Farm Settlement. Nobody knows what led to the crisis in the early hours of Thursday but our people said the Bororo herdsmen killed the pregnant woman.”

But the Regent and the Olorin-in-Council has said the referendum would on Saturday as slated to resolve controversies surrounding the royal stool.

A statement signed by Fasuyi, urged the ruling houses to make their representatives available to witness the referendum.

“The referendum is aimed at the community’s populace who are the stakeholders on the issue of who rules them to publicly express their candid opinions on the matter of who is entitled to rule over them.

“This referendum is in the interest of the whole Orin-Ekiti community,” the statement said.