Tension in Delta as 40-year-old fish farmer is beheaded

The land dispute between Aladja and Ogbe-Ijoh communities in Udu and Warri South West local government areas of Delta State, on Saturday, assumed a frightening dimension as a 40-year-old fish farmer, was found lifeless without its head.

The victim was identified as Samson Bebebo amid tension that the father-of-two was allegedly killed by unknown assailants at his fish farm behind the secretariat.

Sunday Tribune gathered Saturday that the victim, an indigene of Ogbe Ijoh, was shot and beheaded at the wee hours of Saturday.

Those responsible are yet unknown, but some fingers are being pointed at Urhobo neighbours with whom the Ogbe Ijohs have been having a running battle over land with allegations and counter allegations of killings, kidnappings and the like a few days ago.

Bebebo was said to have left for his fish farm behind a secretariat located at the disputed between Aladja and Ogbe Ijoh.

He was reportedly shot and  beheaded when he was returning home after his routine work at his fish farm a few distance away from the disputed land between Alaska and Ogbe Ijoh communities.

A chief from Ogbe-Ijoh, Chief Monday Keme, told Saturday Tribune on phone Saturday evening that narrated to SundayTribune how the lifeless body of Bebebo was found.

According to him, “we were at the burial at Ogbe Ijoh this morning when we got information that Samson, who normally goes to work on his fish farm had not returned home.

So we sent a search party after him at about two hours after 10:30a.m and somebody said he heard gunshots.

The search party found his body lifeless and head removed.

He was brutally murdered and beheaded, ” Chief Keme lamented.

He described the present tension at Ogbe Ijoh as palpable as youths may spoil for a showdown if the state government does not act fast in resolving the land dispute among communities in that area.

A human rights activist, Comrade Austin Ozobo, who spoke to Sunday Tribune condemned the dastardly act.

Both Chief Keme and Comrade Ozobo blamed the Delta State government for not checking on the land dispute committee set up by Governor Ifeanyi Okowo to ascertain how far it has gone and challenges it’s facing.

“A responsible government should be able ask the committee how it has gone and what challenges it’s facing.

We cannot keep killing innocent people,” Keme warned.

Meanwhile, the Warri Area Commander was said to have visited the area and the headless corpse taken to Warri Central Hospital for preservation.

Spokesperson to the Delta Police Command, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, who confirmed the development to reporters, said investigation was on.