On February 21, 2025, suspected Ijaw militants launched a deadly attack on seven farming communities in Ovia South West Local Government Area of Edo State, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 people. The affected communities, including Marindoti, Gbelemontin Domiju, Kola Village, Taiye Camp, Eto Camp, Dipe, Bala Dele, and Thousand, were predominantly inhabited by farmers from various ethnic backgrounds such as Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, and Benin.
Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants, armed with firearms and other weapons, stormed the settlements early in the morning, shooting indiscriminately, setting houses ablaze, and destroying property, including motorcycles and vehicles. The attack forced residents to flee en masse, abandoning their homes and livelihoods.
Edo Updates sources suggest that the attack was a reprisal for the killing of a suspected cocoa thief by local vigilantes employed by the farmers. This incident has heightened existing tensions between the farmers and the alleged militants, who had previously been accused of encroaching on farmland and stealing produce.
The Edo State Police Command confirmed seven deaths and six injuries, stating that a preliminary investigation suggested a communal clash. CSP Moses Yamu, Public Relations Officer of the command, said that operatives of the Iguobazuwa Police Division, in collaboration with the Nigerian Army and vigilantes, had evacuated the casualties to the hospital, where the injured were receiving treatment. The joint operation has restored normalcy to the area, and an investigation into the cause of the clash is ongoing.
Community leaders and residents have called for military protection, the establishment of a local police station, and assistance in rebuilding their communities. They also highlighted the significant contributions of the farming communities to the state’s economy through the cultivation of crops such as cocoa, kola nuts, and plantains.
