At least seven people have been confirmed dead, and six others injured following a violent clash between cocoa farmers and suspected hoodlums in Gbelemoti community, Ovia South-West Local Government Area of Edo State.

The conflict, which occurred between Thursday and Friday, also resulted in the destruction of several houses in the area.

According to sources, the crisis began when a cocoa farmer of Ikale origin hired vigilantes to guard his farmland due to the ongoing theft of cocoa produce by suspected thieves, believed to be Ijaw youths.

While on duty, the vigilantes reportedly shot and killed four individuals attempting to steal from the farm.

The situation escalated on Friday when a group of armed men, allegedly sympathizers of the slain individuals, launched a retaliatory attack on the community.

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The violence led to further casualties and significant property damage.

A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “An Ikale man brought vigilantes to protect his farm from thieves.

"Some of the intruders were killed, and by the next morning, their sympathizers retaliated, leading to more deaths and houses being set on fire.”

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Edo State Police Command, CSP Moses Yamu, stated that the police had recovered the corpses and deposited them in the morgue.

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He added that an investigation had been launched to determine the cause of the conflict.

Yamu further urged residents to seek legal avenues for conflict resolution rather than resorting to violence.