A 32-year old Amos Oyemachi member of Yemule-Ikangba-Agoro Fish Farmers Association in Ijebu-Ode area of Ogun state, who augmented his fishing business with operation of tricycle business has been murdered, while his newly bought tricycle was taken away.
The Chairman of the Yemule-Ikangba-Agoro Fish Farmers Association, Comrade Lazarus Okole, made the this disclosure while briefing newsmen in Ikangba, Ijebu Ode on Saturday.
Following the incident, fish farmers around Ikangba-Agoro road in Odogbolu local government area of the state have pleaded with the State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun to fix the Ikangba-Agoro-Ijebu Ode road, saying that the deplorable condition of the road now serves as incentive for criminals to operate at will on the road.
Okole who spoke through, Nicholas Eko, the spokesman of the association, disclosed that the poor state of the road has become a nightmare for the users of the road.
Okole said his family had waited for him to return home in the evening of December 12, and had to raise alarm the following day, after which his mutilated body was discovered at Agoro end of the bad road.
Oyemachi was said to have been buried on December 17, leaving behind a wife and two children, age five and two.
He added that not too long ago, a commercial motorcycle rider popularly called Okada was also killed on the same road while his motorcycle was also taking away.
Okole explained that “we are still grappling with the sorrow of over N500m loss we suffered in July this year due to flood that washed away our fish ponds which was aggravated by the terrible erosion on the said road leading to overflowing of Yemule river, when one of us was also killed in a very callous manner while looking for what to feed his family with.
He explained that fish farmers and other residents of communities in these areas now ply the Agoro-Okun Owa axis of the road with palpable fear as no one knows who will be the next target of these criminally minded people.
Okole said our demands are that the police should as a matter of urgency fish out the killers of Oyemachi while also ensuring heavy presence of security agents around this axis of road said to have been overtaken by swath of forest.
He said while police usually mount at least four check points between Obalende and Ikangba, their obvious absence around Agoro-Okun Owa end of the road must have also boosted the confidence of those perpetrating evil on this road.
The fish farmers equally demanded that the government compensate family of Oyemachi who left behind a wife and two children as a way of mitigating the tragic loss.
Okole said that Gov Dapo Abiodun and the federal government should also help to fix this road due to its economic importance while the Yemule river should also be dredged during this dry season to forestall another devasting flood and the attendant losses whenever the rain begins.
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