Delta North Communities Cry Out for Urgent Government Intervention as Killer Herdsmen and Kidnappers Lay Siege to Forests

Delta State, Nigeria — April 14, 2025

Over 20 communities in Delta North Senatorial District are living in fear, gripped by terror and helplessness, as killer herdsmen and armed kidnappers continue to ravage farmlands, forests, and highways, abducting innocent residents and demanding ransoms in increasingly brazen attacks. The affected communities are now making an urgent, impassioned call to Governor Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori: “Please, save our people before more lives are lost.”

Farmers no longer go to their farms. Families are sleeping with one eye open. Highways that once connected thriving towns have become deathtraps, patrolled by heavily armed criminals masquerading as herdsmen. Communities including Ubulu-Uku, Ibusa, Ogwashi-Uku, Ubulu-Unor, Onicha Ugbo, Issele-Azagba, and others are under siege. In the past six months alone, over 50 people have been kidnapped or killed.

“They come out of our forests, armed with AK-47s, and take people at will. We are no longer safe,” said Mr. Andrew Okafor, a retired security officer in Otulu. “They have built illegal camps in our forests without consent, and now we’re the ones hiding while they roam freely.”

Local victims, like Mr. John Ndukwe, whose wife was raped by suspected herdsmen, and families like the Anukas—who witnessed the father of their household shot dead for resisting abduction—are only some of the countless heart-wrenching stories.

“They kidnapped a doctor and demanded not just money, but jollof rice, turkey, and energy drinks,” said Mrs. Joan Isioma, a teacher in Anifekide. “They now operate boldly, even in daylight. We are tired, afraid, and abandoned.”

The people are urging Governor Oborevwori to:

• Deploy air surveillance and military-style raids to dislodge the invaders.
• Enforce the Anti-Open Grazing Law passed during his tenure as Speaker in 2021.
• Establish trained and armed forest rangers to permanently secure these vulnerable areas.

“These are not ghosts. These criminals have built bases in our forests. We know where they are. All we ask is for the state to act swiftly, decisively, and fearlessly,” said Celestine Nmakwe, a local driver.

While many believe the government is silent, the Delta State Police Command recently announced that operatives neutralized four kidnappers and recovered AK-47 rifles following the kidnap of a medical doctor. The gang leader, Abubakar Usman (aka “Shehu”), confessed to multiple heinous crimes including the killing of realtor Esther Ojoh and the kidnapping of families across the district.

An aide to the governor stated that “Operation Delta Sweep”—a rebranded security initiative—has been launched to tackle the rising insecurity. Governor Oborevwori has donated 66 vehicles to security agencies and reaffirmed his commitment to peace and safety in Delta.

Still, residents insist: more must be done—and it must be done now.

“We have buried enough of our people. We have wept enough. Our children cannot inherit fear as a way of life,” the communities stated in unison.

They are not just asking for help—they are pleading for rescue.