Delta Communities Cry Out Over Suspected Herdsmen and Kidnappers Attack

Over twenty terror-stricken communities in the Delta North Senatorial District of Delta State are urgently appealing to Governor Sheriff Oborevwori for immediate intervention as suspected herdsmen and kidnappers increasingly dominate their forests, farmlands, and highways. Residents report a surge in abductions, murders, and armed attacks, with over 50 people killed or kidnapped in the past six months across areas including Ubulu-Uku, Ibusa, and Ogwashi-Uku. They are desperately calling for the swift deployment of security forces, including aerial surveillance and targeted raids, to dislodge the armed invaders.

Residents paint a grim picture of daily life, marked by fear as armed individuals, often identified as Fulani herdsmen, allegedly kidnap people from farms and establish illegal roadblocks. Farming has become impossible, and travel is perilous, with local vigilantes ill-equipped to confront the heavily armed assailants. Harrowing personal accounts detail wives being raped, ransoms negotiated with bizarre demands, and even killings in front of family members, highlighting the impunity with which these criminals operate.

While the Delta State Police recently reported a successful sting operation that led to the killing of four suspected kidnappers, including their leader, and the recovery of arms, community members insist that more comprehensive and sustained action is required. They are urging the governor to fully enforce the state’s anti-open grazing law, championed by Oborevwori himself, and to implement measures such as clearing forests, deploying drones, and arming dedicated forest rangers.

Despite the state government’s efforts, including the launch of Operation Delta Sweep and the provision of additional operational vehicles to security agencies, residents believe that these measures are insufficient to address the scale of the crisis. They argue that without decisive action and consistent enforcement of existing laws, they will remain vulnerable to the terror inflicted by these suspected herdsmen and kidnappers who exploit the forests as their operational base.