Blood On Contested Soil: Two Farmers Gunned Down In Ubulu-Okiti Land Dispute

TENSION is mounting in the Ubulu-Okiti community of Aniocha South Local Government Area, Delta State, following the brutal killing of two young farmers by unidentified gunmen on Thursday evening.

The victims, identified as Mr Uwandi Okeleke and Mr Augustine Isichei, were reportedly ambushed and shot dead around 6:00p.m while returning from their farms situated between Ubulu-Okiti and neighbouring Aniagbala-Ubulu-Uku.

As of press time, the identities of the assailants remain unknown, but speculation is rife among locals.

While some community members allege that the attackers were hired agents acting on behalf of the Ogwashi-Uku Monarch, Obi Ifechukwude Okonjo—who is embroiled in a longstanding land dispute with both Ubulu-Okiti and Aniagbala-Ubulu-Uku—others suspect the involvement of Fulani herdsmen.

Accusations against the monarch are being fuelled by multiple eyewitness accounts claiming that armed men, reportedly from Aguleri in Anambra State and allegedly in the employ of Obi Okonjo, have previously been spotted patrolling the disputed lands.

On several occasions, these men are said to have admitted to acting on the king’s orders to “secure” the controversial territory.

The escalating conflict is despite a standing order from the Delta State Government, issued late last year, directing all parties—including the Monarch and his alleged agents—to vacate the land pending the outcome of a Commission of Enquiry.

Locals claim, however, that the king has continued to flout this directive with impunity.

Police spokesman Superintendent, Bright Edafe confirmed the incident, describing it as “gruesome,” but said full details, including the identities of the deceased, were still being gathered at the time of the report.

The double killing has sent shockwaves through the Ubulu-Okiti community, with residents now living in fear of further violence amid growing calls for urgent government intervention.

As the investigation continues, the tragedy underscores the deadly consequences of unresolved land disputes and the pressing need for enforcement of peacekeeping directives in the region.