The people of the Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom, Aniocha South local government area of Delta state, have continued to count their losses from last Christmas until today.
Ogwashi-Uku, a town known for its prominent figures like former Finance Minister Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, housing a Nigerian Mobile Force base, a Polytechnic, and recently donating land to the Nigerian Army, is trying.
In less than a week, the community has been gripped by a spree of cold-blooded murders, brazen kidnappings and what can be described as terror.
On December 24, 2024, at around 10:00 pm, gunshots shattered the night near the Chukwura area, off Isah Road. Young and old residents scrambled for their lives as the festive air turned to panic.
On Christmas morning, grim news spread that armed kidnappers had ambushed a newlywed couple. The husband, attempting to escape the ruthless criminals, was shot through his car. His lifeless body was thrown into the back seat while his pregnant wife was abducted.
Adding to the horror, an elderly widow, the late wife of Sir E.B.O. O’Keefe, a respected former principal of St. Anthony’s Model College, Ubulu-Uku, was found dead under suspicious circumstances.
Evidence points to abduction and torture as the cause, plunging the community deeper into despair.
The bloodshed continued unabated on January 1, 2025, and three more individuals were seized along the same Isah Road axis. Ransom negotiations are reportedly underway, but hope for their safety remains grim.
The Police Public Relations Officers (PPRO), Delta Command, and SP Edafe Bright said the situation was under control.
