Delta Farming Communities Fear Fresh Attacks After Rubber Tapper Is Shot
By UCHE OGBODO
FARMING communities in Ndokwa West Local Government Area of Delta State are facing renewed security concerns after a rubber tapper was allegedly shot and injured by armed men suspected to be herders.
The attack also involved the farmer’s 12-year-old son and reportedly ended with their motorcycle being set ablaze.
John Ogoro and his son, Godswill, were returning from a rubber plantation on 14 September when the incident occurred.
Gunmen Intercept Farmer & Son
The pair were travelling along a bush path between Emu Ebendo and Umusam Ogbe at about 5:30 p.m.
Godswill said three armed men stopped them and ordered them to kneel.
The attackers allegedly accused Ogoro of killing their cattle.
His father reportedly denied the accusation and explained that he had no connection with the alleged incident.
Tension rose when the men allegedly cocked their guns.
Ogoro reportedly ran for safety, but the attackers allegedly opened fire and injured him.
Godswill eventually escaped and sought assistance.
Committee Members Mobilise
A neighbour, Okom Chibeze, alerted Ujene Matthew Ossai, who represents Delta North on the state’s Livestock Management Committee.
Ossai then mobilised with Nzesi Ikechukwu and Peter Igbenu, both committee operatives.
They reportedly moved to Umusam Ogbe Junction and brought the incident to the attention of the police.
Ogoro was subsequently taken to Donak Hospital, Kwale, where he received treatment.
Police spokesperson SP Bright Edafe confirmed the incident.
He said investigators had not made any arrest when contacted, while Ogoro had been treated and discharged.
Complaints Extend Beyond One Attack
The latest incident has revived concerns across Emu Ebendo, Umusam Ogbe, Abbe and nearby farming communities.
Farmers in the area have complained of alleged attacks, crop destruction and difficulties accessing their farms.
Ossai said the situation could undermine agricultural activities if authorities do not address the security concerns.
He noted that some residents were already reluctant to visit their farms.
Others, he said, had begun abandoning agricultural activities because of fear.
June Incident Still Fresh
Another alleged attack occurred in the same axis in June.
Ossai said Joseph Terhemen, a 25-year-old farmer from Kogi State, was allegedly attacked at Emu Ebendo on 15 June.
According to him, Terhemen encountered four herders allegedly encroaching on his farmland.
An argument reportedly followed after he asked them to leave.
The incident was reported to the Abbe Police Division and the Livestock Management Committee.
Ossai said he later contacted Alhaji Musa Seidu, identified as a local herders’ leader.
Seidu reportedly denied the allegation.
Separately, a motorcycle was allegedly set ablaze in Abbe, although details surrounding that incident remained unclear.
Farmers Seek Security
Ossai appealed to residents to remain calm while authorities investigate the latest incident.
He also warned that persistent insecurity could discourage farmers from returning to their fields.
That concern extends beyond individual livelihoods.
When farmers cannot safely reach their farms, agricultural production and local economic activity can also suffer.
For now, the police investigation is expected to establish what happened, identify those responsible and determine whether the latest incident forms part of a wider pattern of conflict in the area.
Until those findings emerge, the allegations against the suspected attackers remain unproven.
