Edo Community Bans Beef Consumption Over Killings, Kidnappings by Suspected Herdsmen

In response to escalating insecurity and the alleged killing and kidnapping of locals by suspected herdsmen, residents of Elelu Village in the Erah community of Owan East Local Government Area, Edo State, have announced a permanent ban on the sale and consumption of beef.

The declaration was made during a massive protest held on Saturday, where both young and old villagers marched through the community, demanding urgent intervention from the state government.

Protesters threatened to relocate to the Edo State Government House if their plight is not addressed, claiming the community is no longer habitable due to the sustained violence.

According to residents, at least seven persons have been kidnapped or killed in the last two weeks alone. Many families have been displaced, while farmlands lie abandoned out of fear of further attacks.

“This Is a Slow Genocide” — Community Cries Out
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Fred Enaikhe Aleburu, representing community leaders, youths, and vigilante groups, lamented the growing insecurity and named three victims — Edekin Ighalo, Abdullahi, and Victor Ogedengbe (a vigilante commander) — who were reportedly killed while defending the community.

“These brave men shielded our mothers, children, and farmlands from armed herdsmen,” Aleburu said. “Their deaths are a testament to the violence we now endure daily.”

Aleburu described the current situation as “a deliberate war on our survival” and “a slow genocide,” noting that the community can no longer access farms, rivers, or markets, plunging residents into poverty and hunger.

He called for:

Immediate establishment of permanent security checkpoints around the community

Full-scale forest clearing to dislodge alleged criminal hideouts

Sustained security presence in villages

Emergency food relief and support for displaced farmers

“If our villages are no longer safe, we will sleep at the doorstep of government leadership until we are heard,” he added.

As a symbolic gesture and protest, Aleburu announced a community-wide ban on beef, stating,

“The killer herdsmen who hide behind cattle have taken too much from us. Our lives, our peace, our food. We will not continue to support a system built on our blood and tears.”

Widows, Youths Share Grief
Chief Julius Unuigbe alleged that herdsmen have taken over local bushes, while Joseph Edairu, another protester, said his brother, two female relatives, and a man from Taraba were recently kidnapped. The Taraba man remains missing.

Mrs. Eunice Ighalo, a grieving mother, said the community can no longer farm or fetch water, adding,

“We are starving. That is why we have decided to take our protest to the government house.”

Blessing Ogedegbe, widow of the late vigilante commander Victor Ogedengbe, said her husband’s body has remained in the mortuary since February 2025. She appealed to the government for employment support to care for her children.