Two herdsmen have been arrested around Agemowo in the Badagry area of Lagos State for stabbing a man to death after a vehicle crushed their cow.
The herdsmen were said to be crossing the expressway with their cattle when a commercial bus hit one of the cows, which died on the spot.
Witnesses said that the herdsmen accosted the driver and demanded payment for their dead cow.
It was learnt that the driver refused to pay, and this led to an altercation which degenerated into a fight between him and the herdsmen.
The herdsmen were said to have stabbed the victim to death in the course of the fight.
However, a witness who craved anonymity said that a bus conductor died in the course of a fracas that ensued between motorists and herdsmen over the incident.
“I live close to the bus-stop where the incident happened and witnessed the event from afar, but I couldn’t move close as a result of the clash between the Fulani herders and motorists in the area.
“The herders held down the driver and insisted that he pay for the dead cow and the driver agreed to pay a sum of N500,000.
“But other motorists who stopped insisted that the incident was not the bus driver’s fault and that he shouldn’t pay, that the Fulani will pay if the matter gets to court. This led to heated argument between the Fulani herders and motorists and it degenerated into a fight. A bus conductor died in the process,” the witness said.
Confirming the incident, spokesman of the police in Lagos, Benjamin Hundeyin said, “A commercial vehicle ran into two cows this morning at Agemowo, Badagry, killing one of the cows. The two cattle herders attacked someone they mistook for the bus conductor, resulting in his death. Angry residents blocked the highway in protest of the killing.
“The DPO, Morogbo division, assisted by soldiers from the 243 Recce Battalion, Badagry, successfully cleared the obstruction. Normalcy has since returned to the area. It is entirely false that the victim was turned back when he sought refuge in a police station.
“He did not make it out of the accident scene, let alone reach the station. Meanwhile, the two herders have been arrested. Investigation is ongoing. Updates will be provided subsequently.”