TWO yet-to-be-identified Fulani cattle herders on Monday, June 27, 2022, reportedly lynched a man in protest of the killing of a cow around Agemowo, in the Badagry area of Lagos State.
According to media reports, the herders were allegedly crossing the expressway with their cattle when an LT commercial bus with registration number FKJ 756 XH coming with speed from Mile 2 collided with two cows resulting in a cow being crushed to death.
An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said; “I live close to the bus stop where the incident happened and witnessed the event from afar, but I couldn’t move close as a result of the clash between the Fulani herders and motorists in the area.
“The herders held down the driver and insisted that he pay for the dead cow and the driver agreed to pay a sum of #500,000.
“But other motorists who stopped insisted that the incident was not the bus driver’s fault and that he shouldn’t pay, that the Fulani will pay if the matter gets to court. This led to a heated argument between the Fulani herders and motorists and it degenerated into a fight. A bus conductor died in the process.”
Another eyewitness account states; “The bus driver was coming from mile 2 when all of a sudden two cows rammed into the vehicle which was in motion. As soon as the accident happened, their herders at Agbo-Malu began to chase the bus.
“The driver and conductor managed to escape unhurt while the victim who was mistaken as the conductor of the LT Volkswagen bus who was still on the bus tried to escape but he could not run much when he was caught by the herders.
“They removed his clothes and beat him till he became unconscious. When he became unconscious they left him, thinking he was dead. The herders pounced on him again when he rose, moving toward Mowo Police station to seek refuge for the fear of being killed.”
“They ran after him, and caught up with him at about five metres to Mowo Police station where they eventually lynched him.”
However, events took a different turn when young men and women gathered to avenge the death of the conductor. The youths who were seeking justice refused to allow the police to take the remains of the passenger to the mortuary until the arrival of Col. M A ABBA, the Commanding Officer of 243 Recce-Batallion Barracks.
The commanding officer appealed to the youths and members of the communities and assured them justice would be done.
He thereafter ordered that the corpse of the passenger be taken and deposited at the General Hospital in Badagry for further investigation on the matter.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin who confirmed the incident added that two suspects were in custody.
“A commercial vehicle ran into two cows this morning at Agemowo, Badagry, killing one of the cows. The two cattle herders attacked someone they mistook for the bus conductor, resulting in his death. Angry residents blocked the highway in protest of the killing.
“The DPO, Morogbo division, assisted by soldiers from the 243 Recce Battalion, Badagry, successfully cleared the obstruction. Normalcy has since returned to the area. It is entirely false that the victim was turned back when he sought refuge in a police station.
“He did not make it out of the accident scene, let alone reach the station. Meanwhile, the two herders have been arrested. An investigation is ongoing. Updates will be provided subsequently,” he said.
Watch the video of the incident here.
