Suspected herdsmen have killed a 48-year-old poultry farmer, Mr. Ukpevo Oghenekaro, and shot his son during an attack near his farm along Iyede Road, after Ughelli Township Stadium, Delta State.
The incident occurred on the evening of Friday, December 20, 2025, and is believed to have been a failed kidnapping attempt.
According to sources, Oghenekaro had gone to his poultry farm to feed his birds ahead of the Christmas season. After parking his vehicle, his son opened the farm gate and entered the premises, while Oghenekaro remained outside.
Moments later, the son reportedly heard his father screaming for help. Rushing out, he saw about three armed men attempting to drag his father into the bush. When he raised an alarm and tried to resist with a stick, one of the assailants allegedly shot him.
Despite the gunshot injury, the attackers reportedly overpowered Oghenekaro and abducted him into the bush, leaving his injured son behind after he pretended to be dead.
The wounded son later secured the farm and alerted family members before being rushed to a hospital for treatment.
On Saturday morning, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force from the Ufuoma Division, alongside members of the victim’s family, discovered Oghenekaro’s body about one kilometre from his poultry farm.
Reacting to the incident, rights activist Comrade Israel Joe described the killing as heartbreaking and called on the Delta State Government to urgently address rising insecurity in the area. He also criticised hospitals for allegedly delaying treatment of the victim’s son while demanding a police report, citing the Compulsory Treatment and Care for Victims of Gunshot Act, 2017, which mandates immediate treatment without such requirements.
When contacted, the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Edafe Bright, said the incident had not yet been formally reported to the state police command.command.