A tragic incident unfolded near Agbor in Delta State after two palm wine tappers were abducted on their farmland in Emuhu, leading to the killing of one victim when his family was unable to meet the kidnappers’ ransom demand.
On Thursday, human rights advocate Harrison Gwamnishu led a joint team of security operatives in an intensive search-and-rescue operation.
The coordinated response included personnel from the Nigerian Army’s 63 Brigade, the Emuhu Vigilante Group, Anti-Cult Unit Abavo, Operation Soup, and several police units.
The search spanned multiple communities; moving from Emuhu to Abavo, onward to Obi-Ayama, and finally to Urhonigbe in neighbouring Edo State, where the team successfully located one of the abducted tappers.
The survivor, visibly shaken, recounted the horrifying ordeal. He confirmed that his colleague was murdered after the kidnappers rejected the only amount the victim’s family could gather, ₦10,000 during desperate ransom negotiations. The criminals reportedly became enraged, leading to the brutal killing.
Gwamnishu described the situation as “a painful reality our people are facing,” calling for intensified government action to secure farmlands, strengthen rural policing, and dismantle kidnappers’ hideouts in border communities.
As security agencies continue tracing the attackers, residents of Emuhu and surrounding areas are appealing for urgent intervention to prevent further loss of lives and livelihoods.
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