IBADAN, Nigeria – Tension reached a breaking point in the Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State following the brutal murder of a prominent local farmer and community leader. Chief Mutairu Oladosu, the 47-year-old Otun Balogun of Oluode Okelade, was reportedly hacked to death by suspected herders on Friday, April 10, 2026 while working on his tomato plantation in Asa Village.

The incident has sparked outrage across the region, prompting the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, to summon high-ranking police officials to his palace to address the deteriorating security situation in the state's agricultural belts.

According to eyewitness reports, Chief Oladosu was working on his farm alongside one of his daughters when a group of suspected herders, accompanied by a large herd of over 300 cattle, invaded the property. Witnesses described the attack as unprovoked and swift.

The assailants, allegedly armed with machetes and other dangerous weapons, overpowered the chief before his family. While his daughter managed to escape and raise the alarm, the attackers fled into the nearby bush.

Traditional leaders in the Ido LGA have voiced profound frustration over the escalating security crisis, characterizing it as a persistent threat to their community’s survival. Leading a delegation to the Olubadan’s palace, Oba Wahab Olabamiji, the Okelade of Okelade, emphasized that the danger has moved beyond crop destruction to a direct, lethal threat to human life.

In an immediate response to these concerns, the Olubadan summoned State Commissioner of Police Olugbenga Abimbola for an emergency briefing to address the violence and restore safety to the region. The Oyo State Police Command has confirmed that one of the suspected attackers has been apprehended. Local hunters and community members were reportedly instrumental in tracking down the individual, who was later handed over to the police for interrogation.

"The Commissioner of Police has assured us that a full-scale investigation is underway," the Olubadan told reporters. "We have been promised that the remaining suspects will be hunted down and that justice will be served to prevent a recurrence of such a heinous act."

The killing of Chief Oladosu is the latest in a string of violent encounters between farmers and herders in the region. Recent data from the NSCDC suggests that Oyo State records nearly 100 such clashes monthly, particularly in the Oluyole, Oke-Ogun, and Ibarapa axes.

As the community prepares for the burial of the Otun Balogun, many farmers in Asa Village have vowed to stay away from their lands until a permanent security detachment is stationed in the area. With the planting season in full swing, local leaders warn that if the violence is not contained, the region's food security could be severely compromised.