FEAR has gripped the people in the riverine areas of Ondo State, following the arrest of four herdsmen with sophisticated weapons.
The herdsmen were reportedly apprehended by some vigilante group in Agadagba Obon town in Ese-Odo council area of the state.
Vanguard gathered that the herdsmen had been terrorising the people in the area in the last few weeks, until they were confronted by the vigilante group.
The herdsmen, whose identities could not be ascertained, had been going about the communities unchecked for fear of possible attack.
The presence of the herdsmen in the community had reportedly created fear among the people, especially women, who have reportedly stopped going to farm for fear of being attacked and/or raped.
Reports had it that before the vigilante group summoned courage to challenge and arrest the herdsmen, several meetings were held to know how best to confront them.
The vigilante group rounded them up and, when they could not give satisfactory answers to questions, were handed over to the Police for interrogation.
Ondo State Police imagemaker, Femi Joseph, confirmed the arrest of the four herdsmen by the vigilante group.
Joseph told Vanguard that the command had begun investigation on the matter.
His words: “They have been handed over to us and when we interrogated them, they told us that they were farmers and wanted to board a boat to Edo State. We have begun investigation on their claim.
“However, there was no report that the suspects killed anybody with the arms they are carrying about.“
He said guns, cutlasses, daggers and axes were recovered from the herdsmen.
