Decomposing body of pastor found in a bush 5 days after he was kidnapped by Fulani herdsmen in Edo

Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen killed a certain Pastor Pius Eromosele of the Church of God Mission in the Ovia North -East Local Government Area of Edo State.

It was gathered that Eromosele was abducted

by the gunmen while working on his farm at Odighi community on March 29.

The body of the deceased and that of another person were discovered in the bush by a search team comprising hunters and vigilantes on April 3.

According to the son of the deceased, Dr. Richard Eromosele, the killers had earlier demanded a ransom of N4m before the decomposing body was found.

"On March 29 , my mother called that she had been calling my father and that he didn ’t pick the calls. She later called that my father later picked and told her that he had been kidnapped by herdsmen on his farm," he said.

"The herdsmen did not use their phones. They were using my father’s phone and a phone of one of his workers . They demanded N4 m but we begged them that it was a holiday and we could not raise the money"

He also said two of his father’s employees ; Kingsley and Akpan, narrated how he was killed , after they managed to escape.

"I went to the police and they told me that I should call them whenever the herdsmen called for ransom payment. I did that but there was no response from the police. The two workers that escaped told us that the herdsmen told my father that he was one of those killing their cows. It was on Tuesday, after the police failed to find my father that I begged hunters and vigilantes to help me.

"It was during the search that we found my father. His skull was cut out with a cutlass while his hands were also cut. We want security agencies to protect farmers in Odighi.’’

The Edo State Commissioner of Police, Johnson Kokumo, who confirmed the incident said one person has been arrested one suspect in connection with the killing.

Speaking to newsmen,  Kokumo, dismissed reports that the late pastor was killed by Fulani herdsmen.  He described the incident as a case of kidnapping.

“One suspect was arrested and is currently undergoing interrogation. It was a clear case of kidnapping. I have not seen where herdsmen and farmers clash and the herdsmen demand ransom. Three people were kidnapped. Two of them escaped from the kidnappers’ camp,”