For nearly a decade, Odion Omoregbe James has lived between the soil he once cultivated and the shadows of fear that now shape his existence. A respected farmer from the Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State, Mr. James built his livelihood on large-scale farming—until grazing cattle and armed violence reduced that life to ashes.
The trouble began in 2015, when suspected Fulani herdsmen reportedly began leading their cattle into his farmland, destroying crops in the process. According to Mr. James, he initially sought peaceful resolution, but repeated pleas to vacate the land were ignored. His property, located in a rich agricultural belt, became the scene of regular intrusions. Tensions escalated after he engaged local vigilantes to remove the trespassers and burned parts of the farmland to deter re-entry.
This act, investigation reveals, did not go unnoticed. What followed was a series of calculated and increasingly violent reprisals. Telvibes conducted interviews and gathered evidence indicating that Mr. James’s refusal to surrender his land triggered a sustained campaign of retaliation by herder militias operating with near impunity.
In July 2022, the same group of herders allegedly returned, once again allowing cattle to roam and destroy his growing crops. Another confrontation followed. Two months later, in September 2022, retaliation came in the form of a targeted killing. Mr. James was absent from the farm that day. His personal assistant, John Gabriel, was not. Gabriel was reportedly cornered by armed men and hacked to death with machetes.
Recalling the event, Mr. James said, “They came for me. When they didn’t find me, they found John. They killed him like he meant nothing.”
The killing was reported to the Benin Police Station on September 18, 2022. A case file was opened, but multiple checks by Telvibes confirmed that no arrests were made and no updates were issued. Attempts to trace progress on the file met a wall of silence.
Barely three months later, on the evening of December 4, 2022, the violence escalated further. Around 8:00 p.m., masked assailants invaded Mr. James’s home at 12 Akugbe Street in Benin City. Neighbours told Tellvibes that the intruders beat him with machetes and what they described as “traditional charms.” He was left unconscious and severely wounded. His wife and neighbours rushed him to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. A medical report from the hospital confirmed multiple lacerations and significant blood loss. He survived—again.
But that would not be the end. Days later, a call came to his personal line. The message was direct: he was still being watched. The voice warned that another attempt on his life was inevitable. Mr. James disappeared shortly afterwards.
Telvibes conducted interviews with community leaders, security experts, and traditional rulers in Edo State. All pointed to a disturbing pattern: the attacks on Mr. James were not isolated events but part of a broader trend of unchecked violence by herder militias across farming communities in southern Nigeria.
His Highness Aigbekan Omoregie, a traditional ruler from Edo State, confirmed that petitions had been filed to both state and federal authorities over the past five years. None were acted upon. “We warned the authorities,” the monarch said. “The militants operate freely. No one stops them. No one arrests them. Our people are dying silently.”
Security analysts interviewed believe the repeated targeting of Mr. James reveals the existence of a surveillance network capable of tracking victims within their home regions. “It’s not random,” said one analyst who requested anonymity. “It’s organised. When you factor in the threats, the follow-ups, and the scale of violence, you begin to see this as a network, not just angry herdsmen.”
As of the time of filing this report, Mr. Odion Omoregbe James remains missing. His farmland lies abandoned. His family has been relocated in a desperate bid to stay ahead of further threats. Community sources say he has given up hope of returning to his agricultural life.
Repeated attempts to reach the Edo State Police Command for official comment were unsuccessful. Calls and messages went unanswered.
The silence from authorities has raised alarm among human rights groups and rural advocacy organisations. Many are calling for an immediate investigation and protection for victims of herder-related violence. But for now, Mr. James represents a growing number of rural Nigerians whose stories of suffering, survival, and abandonment remain unheard—until another killing forces attention back to the same questions: who protects the farmer, and who punishes the hunter?