BENIN—herdsmen raped a woman and beat her husband to a pulp, weekend, at a farm in Ubuneke-Ivbiaro, Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State.
Husband of the rape victim, Umoru Agunu, said armed herdsmen, numbering six, invaded his farm at about 10.30a.m. on Sunday, beat him up and raped his wife.
According to him, “no sooner had I arrived at my farm with my wife than I saw six armed herdsmen demanding for my phone. When I told them I don’t have any, they beat me up mercilessly and two of them raped my wife. They were also with a young woman, who probably is their victim.”
Commenting on the incident, Yakubu Ibrahim, one of the community leaders, noted that armed herdsmen have laid siege on the community.
Ibrahim added that the Sunday incident had been reported to the Divisional Police Officer in Afuze, the administrative headquarters of Owan East Local Government, who promised to send his men to comb the bushes along with the volunteer vigilantes.
Contacted, Head of Local Government Administration, Owan East Local Government, Akeens Ade-Akhani, said the council was aware of the situation in the area, saying his admini-stration have been mobilising policemen and vigilantes to Ivbiaro-Auchi Road.
He said the security challenges in Ivbiaro, Warrake, Ihievbe and other parts of the local government have been reported to the state government to empower the council’s vigilante group with the necessary incentives and manpower to provide security.
