Ravaging Fulani Killers Slaughter 53-Year-Old Farmer At Ubulu-Uku, Delta State

By Frank Oshanugor

Barely three years after some Fulani herdsmen killed a very notable farmer; Mr. Albert Chikwe Ojinji in the bush at Udo area of Ubulu-Uku in Delta State, another farmer cum palm wine tapper, 53-year-old Mr. Emmanuel Ekwunwa was on Sunday murdered by gunmen suspected to be of Fulani extraction.

ATLANTICNEWSONLINE sources in the community disclosed that Ekwunwa was confronted on Saturday 7th February, 2026 by suspected Fulani invaders who had gathered to forcefully drink his wine harvested from uprooted palm trees.

He challenged them and after some altercation, they departed while he returned home. The next day being Sunday, he went back to the bush to tap his wine but only to be ambushed by the armed invaders.
He was brutally attacked.

An unconfirmed source said he was initially shot with gun on his hand before a lethal object believed to be dagger was used to rip off his stomach thereby forcing his intestine to gush out.

Another unconfirmed source also hinted that before he was killed, his attackers had used his phone to make call to a member of his family alerting them of the danger he was inside and the impossibility of returning home alive. As at press time, it could not be confirmed if there was actually such a threatening call as the only member of his family ATLANTICNEWSONLINE could reach on phone said he lives in Benin and was yet to get details of what happened.

It was gathered that soon after his corpse was discovered at the scene of incident by some community youths, the police at the Divisional Headquarters, Ogwashi-Uku were alerted. They came but none of the attackers could be found. They subsequently removed the corpse to a morgue at Ubulu-Uku.

The policemen were said to have suspected that there would be a violent reaction or protest by the youths and this obviously informed the reason for the quick deployment of military personnel to Ubulu-Uku. However, since the youths did not take up arms against anyone, the military men did not stay long before returning to their base. They were believed to have come from Asaba.

Speaking anonymously on the incident, some youths in the community told ATLANTICNEWSONLINE that they were tired of recording ugly incidents of killing their citizens by Fulani marauders who have occupied Ubulu-Uku farmlands and other forest areas.

They have called on the security agencies to upscale their game as it has become a nightmare for indigenes to access their farms for fear of being attacked by the suspected Fulani invaders.

The late Emmanuel Ekwunwa was described by one of our sources as an ardent entrepreneur who after his graduation from St. Anthony’s College, Ubulu-Uku had gone into private business at the neighbouring town of Ogwashi-Uku before relocating back to Ubulu-Uku to begin a cassava processing business in his self acquired cassava grinding mill.

In addition, Ekwunwa a father of three children was also into farming and palm wine tapping to make extra income for the family, being the first son of his late parents.

In some parts of Delta State popularly known for palm wine business, a tapper could either harvest it from a standing palm tree or uprooted one after some nurturing but hard processes that would produce the wine from its freshly stage which lasts for a few days before fermentation that comes with some level of intoxication.

Some people derive their means of livelihood from tapping wine from either the standing palm trees or uprooted ones as palm wine remains a traditional liquor served at ceremonies, entertainment of guests or for personal consumption.

Palm wine in Delta North area where Ubulu-Uku is located has been a sort of liquor many people enjoy drinking, as its sweetness literally cheers some people’s spirit. Both the natives and non natives relish drinking it hence the invading Fulani elements could audaciously attempt to take it from Ekwunwa forcefully on Saturday.

It was gathered that the forceful attempt to take the harvested wine led to physical confrontation between the invading Fulanis and Ekwunwa. He was said to have bravely warded them off but regrettably his return journey incidentally became the end of his life. What an irony?

Effort to confirm the incident from Delta State Police spokesman, Bright Edafe, a Superintendent of Police as at press time was unsuccessful as his telephone line was not connecting.