By Emma Amaize

Alleged killer-herdsmen/kidnappers have constrained poor residents of the Ubulu-Uku community in Aniocha South Local Government Area, Delta State, to contribute N10 million ransom  to secure the release of two villagers abducted and held captive for two weeks.   

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NDV learned  the kidnappers who had been terrorizing the people of Ubulu-Uku and adjoining communities had initially demanded N5 million when they called the captives’ relatives,   abducted on April 18, on the phone.  

The four-man abduction gang, which has mastered the bush paths and forests of many communities in Delta State, had trekked several kilometres for almost 24 hours with their weary victims from the Ubulu-Uku community,   across Obior, Akumazi, Umunede, Otolokpo, Ekuku-Agbor, and Abavo communities in the state to their den in Edo State.

N10 million ransom plus jollof rice or death

The relatives pleaded with the criminals to show mercy to the captives, as they were underprivileged.  

But they changed their mind, accusing them of unseriousness for not paying the N5 million ransom quickly.

The hijackers hiked the ransom to N10 million, telling them to use the money to bury the captives since they were not ready to comply.

They angrily sent a list of foodstuffs and drinks to the relatives to supply them.  The items include 50 Black Bullets drinks, Peak Milk (10), Ice (20 grams), Malt (10), Loud (50 cups), Igbo (Indian hemp), 6,000 wraps, white razler, and table water (one pack).  

Others are: Three school bags (big), two crossing bags, TM (200 mg) 20 sachets Hollandia (4), 10 plates of jollof rice, and turkey meat, Nutri C, (3 rolls), sachet peak milk (2 rolls), Eva soap (six packs), and two rubber sandals (size 43 and 41).  

Leaders of the community, alerted of the nerve-wracking threats and development, summoned a community meeting, where the people decided that the best thing to do was to task themselves and contribute the money to avert the death of the two kinsmen.  

We were powerless — Community leaders

A community leader told NDV: “It is not the first time, the second time, or the third time they had called our people on the phone and threatened to kill  the victims if their demands were not met.

“We found ourselves in a helpless condition because they had killed several indigenes of the community in the past because of failure to pay the requested ransom.  

“So, the whole community, both the jobless and employed, old and young, including those outside the state, decided to raise money. People paid according to their capacity, and we raised millions of naira.  

“By April 30, the community had collected N10 million, and because time was running out, we appointed delegates to take the ransom, food, and drinks to the kidnappers.  

“The community counted and   packed N10 million cash in a carton, and all other items in a Ghana-must-go bag and proceeded to the location the lawbreakers indicated on May 1 (Workers’ Day).”

Another community leader said: “Some members of the community recommended that we mobilise security officials to confront the kidnappers, but the law operatives   contacted asked us to pay the ransom if we wanted to see the victims alive.

“ Fulani herdsmen and kidnappers abduct people from this village and other communities at gunpoint daily.

“They have turned kidnapping into a full-time business and force poor people who cannot afford three square meals a day to pay the ransom.

“This is what they are doing to us in this community; both the government and the police are not helping us.  

“Nobody is safe any longer in Ubuluku-Uku community. We are mainly farmers and cannot go to our farms anymore because Fulani kidnappers,   armed with AK-47   rifles and other dangerous weapons, have taken over our bushes and forests.  

The most dreaded kidnappers’ den in Edo/ Delta     

NDV learned that the community representatives travelled several kilometres from Ubuluku-Uku community across the Obior, Owerre-Olubor, Ute-Okpu, Abavo, Umutu, and Orerokpe communities in Delta State to the outskirts of Urhonigbe community in Edo State, where the Fulani herdsmen/kidnappers established the most notorious forest   hideout in Delta and Edo states   

“The kidnappers monitored their movement, unknown to them, and confirmed that security operatives were not accompanying them before they told them the exact spot to drop off the N10 million ransom and other items.  

“For those who say the villagers should have poisoned the jollof rice and drinks, I want to warn that nobody should try that with them. Besides having charms with which they will know if the food is poisoned, they will not even collect the food items without the people who brought them tasting it.

“The victims you have come for their release would also taste the food. So, if you poison the food items, they will collect the money and other things, then go ahead to shoot the victims for planning to kill them.”

Despite the injuries they sustained and the torture, the two villagers were over the moon that the community came to rescue them. The emissaries drove them back to Ubulu-Uku community the same day.

“What the representatives feared was that the people they asked about the location of the Urhonigbe community on their way, asked them in return why they were going there, and if they did not know that it was an infamous kidnappers’ territory,” a villager said.  

He added: “They told them the army and police know that the kidnappers are stationed in a forest in Urhonigbe community, but security officials dare not go there.”  

Outrage in Ubulu-Uku

When the representatives got to Ubuku-Uku community with the two abducted villagers, the mere sight of them and their injuries outraged the youths, who roared, throwing all the northerners residing in the town into a panic mood.

Sources said that they might have called security operatives out of fear, as about 30 minutes into the eruption by enraged youths, law enforcement agents in at least 15 patrol vehicles stormed the community to maintain the peace.

Oborevwori’s stern directive to LG chairs

Months ago, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori directed the two chairmen of Aniocha North and Aniocha South local government areas, Hon. Emmanuel Chinye, and Hon (Pastor) Jude Chukwunwike, and other affected chairmen, to convene a combined security summit involving communities in the two local government areas, law enforcement agents, vigilantes, and the clergy to identify the root causes and way out.

  Most of the kidnappings in the last few months in the senatorial district had taken place mainly in the two local government areas, with Ubulu-Uku community as one of the most susceptible.

 The summit held on April 11 at  Ogwashi-Uku community identified the hideouts, exit/entry points, extended foot paths in the bushes/forests connecting the localities, other parts of the state, and neighbouring Edo State, which the Fulani herdsmen/kidnappers use to ferret hostages to seclusion.

The two chairmen in a communique said: “A combined team of security agencies is  hereby constituted with immediate effect and with a mandate to regularly comb the large expanse of bushes/forests, borders of the two local government areas to eject all undesirable elements living therein.”  

The problem, however, is that working gadgets were not provided thereafter. They discussed drones, trackers, welfare packages, and other necessary materials for the security team and vigilantes. No dice yet.  

The security team did nothing about the abducted villagers  

The four-man kidnap gang abducted the two brothers from Ubulu-Uku community on April 18, six days after the combined security team set up to comb and expel all undesirable elements hibernating therein. The team did not comb the forests at any time in search of them and their captors.

  Five days before the Ogwashi-Uku meeting, some kidnappers led by Abubakar Usman, popularly known as Shehu, on April 6, had ambushed a doctor and his driver at the Issele-Uku axis of the Benin–Agbor federal highway.  

They seized the two occupants, whisked them into the forest, and contacted the doctor’s family the same night. They released the doctor and his driver the next day, April 7, after collecting N15 million ransom, cooked jollof rice, drinks, and other things.  

We are not sleeping — Police Commissioner 

Abaniwonda; Edafe, PPRO Happily, the spokesperson of the Delta State Police Command, SP Bright Edafe, announced that the police killed gang leader, Usman, and three others on April 11, the same day the Ogwashi-Uku combined security meeting was held.  

Edafe said: “The Commissioner of Police, Delta State, CP Olufemi Abaniwonda, directed operatives of the CP-Special Assessment team to embark on an intelligence-led investigation and ensure that the kidnappers are arrested and brought to justice.”  

According to him, the police tracked and arrested the notorious kingpin on April 10, 24 hours before the meeting, following credible intelligence reports.

“Acting on his confession, at about 1100 hours on 11 April 2025, the suspect led operatives to their hideout—a forest along the Asaba/Agbor expressway, between the Okpanam and Issele-Azagba communities. During the search of the area, the suspect raised an alarm and fled to join his waiting gang members.

“The gang members engaged the team in a fierce gun duel, during which four suspects, including the said Usman Abubakar, sustained serious gunshot injuries. Three AK-47 rifles and ninety rounds of 7.62mm live ammunition were recovered.

“The injured suspects were taken to General Hospital Ogwashi-Uku, where they were all confirmed dead.”

The state Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, who paraded the suspects during his quarterly briefing,   disclosed that the gang leader, Abubakar Usman, popularly known as “Shehu,” and other members of the gang were allegedly responsible for a series of kidnappings in the Ogwashi-Uku, Ibusa, Ubulu-Uku communities, and surrounding areas.

The commissioner stated that the group members were also responsible for the kidnapping of the wife and daughter of one Mr Godwin Anuka after murdering him in the Ogwashi-Uku area.

He explained that Abubakar owned up to being responsible for the kidnapping of a realtor, Esther Ojoh, in Ibusa, whose corpse was later found on March 25.

The government and police looked the other way – Ojei, activist

An activist, Victor Ojei, who in conjunction with another crusader, Harrison Gwamnishu, both from the Ubulu-Uku community, regularly raised the alarm about the worrisome abduction in the Ubulu-Uku community, other towns in the Delta North senatorial district, and other parts of the state, accused the state government of paying scant attention.

His words: “’Our hometown,   Ubulu-Ukku in Aniocha South local government area, is under siege by kidnappers, while our people cry for help, the Delta State government chooses to look the other way.”’

“The silence became deafening. That is why we both resigned — Comrade Harrison Gwamnishu as SSA on Civil Society and Youth Mobilization, and Comrade Victor Ojei as SSA on Civil Society and NGOs.

“We could no longer sit in comfort while our people suffer in fear. We chose our people over position. We chose Delta State over compromise.

“Just recently, two brothers kidnapped from the Udo Quarters, Ubulu-Uku, were released after two agonizing weeks in captivity in the Urhonigbe community, Edo State, a place so deep in the forest.

“It takes 17 hours of trekking without food or water to reach. This is the reality our people live with every day.

  “These criminals hide in plain sight, posing as herdsmen and iron scrap collectors. Some live rent-free in the bush; others rent houses without any record or trace.

… some community leaders are co-conspirators  

“Even worse, some community leaders enable this horror by selling lands without vetting. This madness must stop. We must begin to hold community leaders accountable! 

“We, Comrade Gwamnishu and Comrade Victor Ojei (Wong Box), will no longer sit and watch our people be hunted, kidnapped, and buried in silence,” he stated.

Residents insist govt.,/ police live in denial.  

Residents who spoke to NDV said the government and the police live in denial of the fact that kidnappers were tormenting residents, only for the police to ridiculously praise themselves for the skeletal attempts made to challenge the kidnappers.

Mr. Innocent Ojogbu, a teacher said, “The attempts they make is insignificant to the avalanche of kidnappings by the Fulani herdsmen, who attack farmers, rape women in the farms, and abduct villagers for ransom.”

“From April 18, when they kidnapped the two brothers at the Ubulu-Uku community, to May 1, when the community paid ransom and secured their release, the security agents did not comb any forest for them.

“They set up a joint security team on April 11, a week before the abduction. Why did they not track the kidnappers and release our kinsmen?”

Mrs. Felicia Ozomah, a housewife, asked: “Why have they not mobilized to destroy the hideouts the kidnappers have built in our forests? If they had used drones to locate the hideaways in the forests, and use fighter aeroplanes to raid them, and sustain the operation, they would kill many of them.”

“And those remaining would take flight from Delta State, but the government and the police act as if they are uninformed that we are under siege by kidnappers,” she added.

A vigilante, Ifeanyi Enumah, added, “The police do not take stern measures to deal with the kidnappers, I will say indulge them, and only strike once in a blue moon when the complaints from the people get too loud. So, the kidnappers feel at home continuing their activities.”

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