The people of Gbolomotin community in Ovia South- West Local Government of Edo has called for the state government protection following speculations that the community caused the killings.
This is contained in a statement by Mr Karaem Ebimobobowei, the spokesperson of the Gbolomotin community, on Sunday in Benin .
Ebimobobowei said the community never provoked the recent killings of cocoa farmers in the community as being speculated in certain quarters.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that no fewer than 23 persons were killed and many houses razed in seven communities during the clash, which occurred on Feb. 21.
The affected communities are Marindoti, Gbolomotin, Kola village, Taiye Camp, Eto Camp, Dipe, Bala Dele and Thousand Village.
The communities are made of persons from Ijaw, Yoruba, Binis and others.
Ebimobobowei said that what caused the clash was the accusation by the cocoa farmers that some persons in the communities were stealing their produce.
He said that the accusation prompted the cocoa farmers to form vigilance group that monitored their produce.
He said that Gbolomotin community only accused the cocoa farmers of using a vigilance group to attack their youths but never attacked the cocoa farmers.
The community denied that Gbolomotin was the aggressor and called for a thorough investigation by the state government and security agencies.(NAN)
