39-year-old Man Arrested For Killing Herdsman In Ogun Claims Self-defence

Saheed Ogundahun

A 39-year-old man, Saheed Ogundahun has been arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly killing a herdman and burying him in the bush.

The herdsman, Zanda Abu, was killed on March 12 after an altercation between him and the suspect.

It was gathered that Ogundahun, a citizen of the Republic of Benin resident in Nigeria reportedly shot the herdsman to death following an argument after he found the deceased grazing cows on his farm.

The state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, who disclosed this in a press briefing, said that one Alhaji Bature Umar reported at Ewekoro Division on March 13 that Abu left Afowowa area with some cows for grazing a day earlier and had yet to return.

The complainant added that he got information that a gunshot was heard from the direction  Abu went for grazing, raising fears that something untoward must have happened to him.

This prompted the Divisional Police Officer in charge of the Division and his men to go into the bush in search of the missing man, but were unsuccessful.

However, intelligence gathering led to the arrest of Ogundahun, and on interrogation, he confessed that he shot Abu to death and buried him in the bush.

"He has taken policemen to where he buried the deceased and the corpse has been exhumed and taken to the General Hospital, Ifo mortuary for autopsy,” CP Bankole stated.

Recovered from the suspect was a Dane gun used in killing the victim.

Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, Ogundahun, a farmer and labourer, claimed that he killed the herdsman in self defence after he threatened him with a machete.

“I went to farm that morning, came home at about 3pm to eat and went back again at about 5pm," he explained.

''As I was going back,  I met a girl who me that there were some cows in my farm. On getting to the farm, I saw the man herding the cows to the farm and asked him to leave my farm but he refused

"After asking to leave three times, he brought out a cutlass. I asked him what he wanted to use the cutlass for, but was warned by someone not to move close to him as I might be injured

"Eventually, I forced him to leave the farm and as he left, he crossed to the other side of the road and waited there, threatening me to move close.  I did and he raised the cutlass, causing everyone around to move back. I shot him on the head but I have realized that I made a mistake."