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By Christopher Oji
The people of Ubulu-Uku,Aniocha-South Local Government Area, Delta State, have been thrown into mourning as one of their best palm wine-tappers was murdered in his farm by herdsmen at the weekend.
Emma Ekwunwa, who was also a renowned farmer, was butchered at his Udo farmland, Ubulu-Uku, Sunday evening.
it was gathered that the incident followed an earlier confrontation between the deceased and an unidentified man found on his farm a few days before the attack.
Reports said Ekwunwa discovered his palm wine had been tampered with and challenged the stranger, leading to a physical altercation.
According to a source, the farmer overpowered the man during the scuffle and returned home unharmed. Believing the matter had been resolved, Ekwunwa, who was innocent and unsuspecting, later went back to his farm on Sunday, February 8, 2026, to continue his routine palm wine-tapping: “It was during his return visit to his farm, after the fight, that he was ambushed by the stranger who had teamed up with others to kill Emma in the farm.”
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His body has been deposited in the mortuary.
A similar incident occurred on May 19, 2019, when an Udo traditional chief, Chikwe Ojinji, was murdered in his farm.
Last year, a middle-aged man was also kidnapped from Udo village by assailants believed to have emerged from nearby farmlands. He was later released after ransom was paid.
Following the latest killing of the palm wine taper, Ubulu-Uku people have called on the Delta State Police Command and other security agencies to reinforce security in the area.
A community leader, Mark Chidozie, urged the police to help in combing bushes surrounding Ubulu-Uku and environs and to protect farmers in the area.
He said, “There is a river near Udo farmland. That is what is attracting herdsmen to the area. They will pollute our river, feed their cattle with our farm produce and drink our palm wine. After robbing us, they will still go ahead and kill us.”
