Suspected Fulani herdsmen unleashed mayhem on one Mr. Awele Charles, with machetes and Kidnapped a female occupant of the car while two other boys escaped into the bush between Ubulu-Uku and Ogwashi-Uku, Aniocha south local government area of Delta State.
Trouble started on Friday 10th, July 2020, last week at about 1:00am while the victim and three other occupants were driving in his Toyota Camry car along Ogwashi-Uku-Ubulu-Uku road and ran into the herdsmen who pretended to be vigilante group.
The victims were returning to Ubulu-Uku, from Ogwashi-Uku, where they went to book hotel for wedding guests which is billed to hold on Saturday 11tth July 2020, when they were attacked.
Not suspecting anything, Awele slowed down but got the shocker of his life when the assailants numbering six opened fire on them and ordered him to come down.
Before he could remove his seat belt, dangerous weapons including cutlasses were used to attack him but the two male occupants of the car escaped into the bush while the remaining female was whisked away with Mr. Awele, who managed to escape into the bush with bruises.
The Kidnappers demanded for N200, 000 for the release of their victim which was paid before the girl regained freedom from her abductors den.
According to him, “it happened on Friday night around 1:00am. His friend was to Wed on Saturday at Ubulu-Uku and they were lodging at Ogwashi-Uku. So they were going back to Ogwashi-Uku after everything on Friday to prepare for the wedding on Saturday.
“On getting to the Vigilante check point between Ubulu-Uku and Ogwashi-Uku, they saw these men who stopped them. Thinking they were vigilante men, they stopped for them and six of them bounced on them.
“He was driving and with him in the vehicle were two boys and a girl. The two boys ran into the bush and they started dragging the vehicle with him, it was at that point they started using the cutlass at him.
“He struggled to remove the seat belt, came down from the car and ran inside the bush, they pursued the other two boys but they could not get them, so they took the girl and started demanding for ransom and a ransom of N200, 000 was paid before the girl was released”, The Story, source, who do not want the name on print narrated.
Meanwhile, our source, has pleaded with the Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa-led administration come come to the rescue of residents of Delta north Senatorial District following insecurity that have ravaged the district.
The source lamented that people living in the zone no longer sleeps with two eyes closed following incessant kidnapping, killings, rituals and cult related activities.
“Delta State, what is happening? Our Government ably led by the performing Governor, Sen. Dr. Authur Ifeanyi Okowa, please come to the rescue of our people in Delta North.
“We are no more save in our houses and our own land. How can we become a slave in our own land. This is what this animalistic set of people (Fulani Herdsmen) did to somebody along Ogwashi-Uku, Ubulu-Uku road.
“Thank God for saving the life of this my brother and friend. But do we continue to fold our hands and die like chicken in our own land? The source questioned.
“We call on the government and appropriate authorities to arise and come to the rescue of the people of Delta North. Our lands and our bushes have been taken over by these men. What is our hope of survival?
Contacted on Saturday 18th July 2020, for confirmation, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Onome Onovwakpoyeya said: “I am not aware of that”.
It would be recall that the state government in its bid to tackle insecurity announced the establishment of “Operation Delta Hawk” just as a Bill for the establishment of an indigenous security outfit in the State; “Delta State Community Security Corps Agency 2020”, has passed second reading in the State House of Assembly.
