Tragedy strikes as kidnapped man killed in front of his family in Delta

A heart-wrenching incident occurred in the Ubulu-Uku area of Delta State, where a man, identified as Godwin Anuka, was tragically killed by suspected Fulani herders in the presence of his wife and two children.

The details were shared by Harrison Gwamnishu, the Senior Special Assistant on Civil Society and Youth Mobilisation to the Delta State Governor, in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

According to Gwamnishu, the kidnappers had initially abducted two individuals on March 23, taking them into the bush and demanding ransom for their release.

He noted that while the kidnappers were hiding in the bush with the two abducted victims, they saw Anuka alongside his wife and two underage children working on their farm.

The SSA noted that the kidnappers proceeded to abduct Anuka and his family and began demanding ransom.

Gwamnishu said, “Mr Godwin Anuka, his wife, and two underage children were kidnapped on March 29, 2025, at their farm in Ubulu-Uku, Delta State. It’s the same five sets of Fulani armed kidnappers that carried out these heinous crimes.

“They kidnapped Chibueze from Ogwashi-Uku, trekked to Ubulu-Uku, and kidnapped Mr Afam. They trekked, crossed the Isah Ogwashi/Ubulu-Uku road to Power Line, and headed to a farm road towards Ani-Uje Ubulu-Uku, where they camped for days and started calling for ransom.

“It was where they camped that they saw Mr Godwin and his family and kidnapped all of them.”

He disclosed that the chairman of the local government mobilised military men to carry out a rescue operation, but after a ransom was paid, the kidnappers released some of the abducted persons, while it was revealed that Anuka was shot dead in the presence of his wife and children.

He wrote,

“The Ubulu-Uku Central Vigilante team and the Nigerian Army mobilised by the Aniocha South LGA Chairman, Hon. Pastor Jude Chukwunwike, and the Ubulu-Uku Palace made an effort to rescue them.

“Yesterday, after a huge ransom was paid, the kidnappers released Chibueze, Mr Afam, late Godwin’s wife, and two children, and we were told that Mr Godwin was shot and killed right inside the farm in the presence of his wife and children.”

Efforts to get the reaction of the Delta State Police Public Relations Officer, Bright Edafe, proved abortive as he had yet to respond to calls and messages at the time of filing this report.

PUNCH Metro reported on March 28 that Gwamnishu decried the rise in kidnappings in some parts of the state allegedly perpetrated by some Fulani herders.

Gwamnishu disclosed this while referencing the death of a female land agent, Esther Osaze, whose body was found dead a few days after she was abducted.

While expressing sadness over Esther’s death, the SSA noted that some of the victims were still in the kidnappers’ den because their families could not pay the requested ransom.