Friday, March 29, 2024

Panic grips Delta community over killing of man on farmland

There was pandemonium in Arhede community in Isoko North Local Government Area of Delta State as unidentified gun men shot dead a 30-year-old man, simply identified as Choike Ikpi, while working on a farm in the area.
As a result of the incident, the Arhede community has been thrown into mourning and fear has enveloped the area.
Ikpi, according to a source, who pleaded anonymity, was gruesomely murdered by the unknown gunmen as he worked on the farm belonging to an indigene of the community (names withheld) and located along Obodeti road in Ozoro.
The source explained that the deceased had earlier called his boss to bring more water for him before the gunmen stormed the farm and shot him dead.
The source also told our correspondent that the owner of the farm, where the deceased was working before he met his untimely death, had earlier been robbed of his motorcycle while he was on his way to the farm.
Another source, who also pleaded anonymity, said the whole community “now lives in fear as we do not know if the gunmen that killed the man were Fulani herdsmen,” adding that the people had refused to go to their farms for fear of being attacked.
“We are all afraid to go to our farms because we do not know who the next victim will be. With the herdsmen menace going on in the country, we do not know if those were the ones who attacked the man in the farm. How can we go to our farms when people are being killed without any trace? My brother, no man in his right senses would do that,” he said.
Our correspondent, who visited the community, observed that the whole community was still mourning as people were seen gathered in clusters, discussing
in whispers.
Ikpi’s corpse was said to have been taken to an undisclosed morgue in Ozoro, the administrative headquarters of Isoko North Local Government Area by the police from the Ozoro
Division.
When contacted, the President General of Aradhe community, Mr. Felix Omokobia, confirmed the killing of the farm worker, and appealed to the people to maintain peace and be law-abiding.
He urged the police to ensure that those behind the killing were brought to book in no distant time.
The community leader said, “These are not good times for our community because this man killed in his prime was a very good man, who did not look for trouble. We have yet to come to terms with his death. Why would anybody want to kill such a young, promising and hard-working man? All the time, the deceased was always seen working hard to make a living. He was never a troublesome person.
“I want to use this opportunity to call on the youths of this community not to take laws into their hands because of this incident. They should allow the police to do their job. I also want to appeal to the security agencies to do all they can to bring the culprits to book. I believe that police will bring the murderers to book in no distant time.”
When contacted, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Andrew Aniamaka, said he had yet to be briefed on the incident. But as at the time of filing this report, the PPRO had not confirmed the incident.
But a police source close to the Ozoro Divisional Police Station confirmed the death of the farm worker to our
correspondent.

Popular Articles