Court remands herdsman for alleged attempt to kill Ekiti farmer

An Ekiti State Chief Magistrate’s Court, Ado Ekiti, has ordered the remand of a 20-year-old herdsman, Umoru Baba, in a custodial centre for allegedly attempting to kill a farmer.

The charge against Baba stated that “on March 13, 2022, at the Reserve area in Erio Ekiti in the Aramoko Ekiti Magisterial District, you did attempt to murder 45-year-old Oruma Samson on his farm in Erio Ekiti.”

In his statement to the police, the victim said, “I was working on my farm in Erio Ekiti. I saw the herdsman (defendant) with cows destroying my plantation and I begged him to leave the farm.

“Suddenly, some other herdsmen appeared from the bush and surrounded me. While I was trying to escape, the herdsman (defendant) cut me with a machete in the head. My shout for help attracted other farmers, who came to my rescue.

“While other herdsmen escaped with the cows, he was arrested with the machete while he was also trying to escape. I was later taken to a hospital.”

The police prosecutor, Olubu Apata, said the offence was punishable under Section 320 of the Criminal Code Cap. C16, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

Apata urged the court to remand the defendant to allow the police to complete their investigation and forward the duplicate case file to the Director of Public Prosecutions for legal advice.

The Chief Magistrate, Kehinde Awosika, who granted the application, said, “The defendant is hereby ordered to be remanded in the custody of the Nigeria Correctional Services, Ado Ekiti, pending issuance of legal advice from the DPP.

The case was adjourned till April 18, 2022, for mention.