The Police in Ekiti State on Friday arrested three herdsmen who allegedly mounted a roadblock along Usho Road in Ise Ekiti in the Ise/Orun Council Area of the state.
Sources alleged that five herdsmen mounted the roadblock around 10am with the intention to rob road users and community members of their valuables.
According to them, on sighting the herdsmen, who allegedly barricaded the road, some members of the community alerted the police, who in turn, rushed to the place to save the situation.
A police source said, “Information reached the police at 10.15am that five herdsmen mounted roadblock along Usho Road in Ise Ekiti terrorising the road users with weapons such as daggers and cutlasses.
“A police patrol team swung into action and arrested two of them, Usman Ibrahim and Ali Salisu on the spot while the remaining three fled into the bush.
“Upon combing the bush for the fleeing suspects, another suspect, named Sidikia Manbagri, was arrested. Our men are still in the bush to find the remaining two suspects.”
The Commissioner of Police in Ekiti State, Mr Asuquo Amba, who confirmed the development, said, “It is true. Some men suspected to be herdsmen mounted a roadblock. We want to find out why they behaved that way. We will brief the press on further development.”
The Chairman, Joint Security Committee of Emure, Ise and Ikere council areas, Elder Tunji Falana, who lauded the police for quick intervention, appealed to the state Governor, Kayode Fayemi, to provide patrol vehicles for the police stations in the three council areas.
Falana, who also appealed for increase in the number of police personnel in the area, said, “Ise has about 300 farmsteads and over 30 routes. The police need more men and vehicles. Prevention is better than cure. The police here are working under very difficult conditions with an abysmal police to civilian ratio of 1 to 7500.”
