A violent confrontation between a father and son in Edo State ended in two deaths after residents of Ikhehe community allegedly lynched a man accused of killing his father during an argument over food.
The incident happened in Ikhehe, a rural settlement in Ewato, located in Esan South-East Local Government Area of the state. Residents said the dispute began inside the family home and escalated rapidly before neighbours could intervene.
The deceased father, identified as Friday Odese, was said to be a farmer who had struggled in recent months to access his farmland because of insecurity in the area. Community sources alleged that armed men operating in nearby forests had created fear among farmers and limited movement around farmlands and bush paths.
According to residents, the suspect, Pere Odese, 30, confronted his father over the lack of food at home. Witnesses claimed the father explained that he had been unable to harvest cassava from his farm because it was unsafe to enter the bush.
What began as a verbal disagreement reportedly turned violent shortly afterward.
Residents alleged that Pere attacked his father with a cutlass during the argument, inflicting fatal injuries before neighbours arrived at the scene. Friday Odese was said to have died from the attack.
A resident who spoke about the incident said another neighbour sustained injuries while trying to stop the assault.
“The man who tried to separate them was cut with the machete and had to be taken for treatment,” the resident said. “People started shouting for help when they realised the older man had collapsed.”
The injured neighbour was reportedly rushed to a hospital outside the community, though details about his condition were not immediately available.
Following the attack, the suspect allegedly attempted to flee the area. However, word of the incident spread quickly through the community, prompting residents and local youths to pursue him.
Sources said he was later caught by an angry crowd and beaten severely. By the time the mob dispersed, he had reportedly died from the assault.
The deaths of both father and son have left residents in shock, with many describing the incident as one of the most disturbing episodes the community has witnessed in recent years.
Some residents linked the tragedy to the growing hardship facing rural families, especially those dependent on farming for survival. Several communities across Edo and neighbouring states have repeatedly raised concerns about insecurity in forests and farming routes, where kidnappings and attacks by armed groups have been reported.
In many rural areas, farmers have complained that fear of attacks has reduced farming activities and affected food supply and household income. Community leaders have also warned that prolonged economic pressure and insecurity are contributing to rising tension within homes.
Although details surrounding the argument remain based largely on eyewitness accounts, residents said the immediate trigger was the family’s inability to provide food.
The incident has also renewed concerns about mob justice in parts of the country, where suspects are sometimes attacked by residents before law enforcement agencies can intervene.
Human rights groups and security experts have repeatedly warned that mob action often destroys evidence, prevents proper investigation, and can result in the killing of innocent people. Despite repeated public campaigns against jungle justice, incidents involving mob violence continue to occur in different parts of Nigeria.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, CSP Eno Ikoedem, confirmed that the police were aware of the incident.
However, she stated that the matter had not yet been formally reported to the command at the time of inquiry.
“The command is aware of the incident, but it has not been officially reported,” she said.
As of Thursday evening, there was no confirmation regarding arrests connected to the lynching of the suspect. It also remained unclear whether security personnel had been deployed to the community following the incident.
Residents said the atmosphere in Ikhehe remained tense after the killings, with many families staying indoors amid fears of possible reprisals or further unrest.
Community leaders were also said to be holding consultations on how to address the situation and prevent future violence.
The deaths have added to ongoing conversations around insecurity, food hardship, and the breakdown of conflict resolution mechanisms in rural communities across the country.
