A farmer, simply identified as Adegoke, has beaten a suspected thief to death in Odigbo Council Area of Ondo State.
It was gathered that the farmer also inflicted injuries on other suspected thieves, who allegedly invaded his farm, located at Mile 10, in the Ore area of the state.
The suspects, who reportedly hailed from neighbouring Aba Tuntun community, were injured and presently on admission to an undisclosed hospital.
According to a police source, the farmer alleged that the suspected thieves had been stealing farm produce from his farm including his motorcycle.
Speaking with newsmen, a source in the community said some suspected thieves had been stealing the farm produce of one Adegoke, popularly called Ariya, but he had kept quiet for long.
“However, nemesis caught up with the thieves as Adegoke was able to get hold of two persons out of four found in his farm.
“Before now, his Cocoa pods, Kola nuts, and plantains had been missing from his farm often and often, including his motorcycle. But he found two persons guilty of the offence.
“Adegoke beat them to a stupor, and in the process, one died. And that has led to intra-communal tension in the area,” the community source said.
Adegoke was subsequently arrested and transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department in Akure for investigation.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Funmi Odunlami, confirmed the incident, saying that it was the farmer’s wife who reported to him that thieves had again invaded his farm.
Odunlami stated that the farmer rushed to the scene and attacked the suspects, adding that police detectives were still investigating the incident.