Fear has returned to farming communities in Ndokwa West Local Council of Delta State after suspected armed herders allegedly attacked a rubber tapper and his 12-year-old son, leaving the farmer injured and setting their motorcycle ablaze.

The incident occurred on Monday, September 14, 2026, along a bush path between Emu Ebendo and Umusam Ogbe, as the pair returned from a rubber plantation.

The attack has heightened concerns among residents of Emu Ebendo, Umusam Ogbe, Abbe and neighbouring communities, where farmers have repeatedly complained of alleged attacks, crop destruction and difficulties accessing their farmlands.

The Guardian learnt that the victim, identified as John Ogoro, and his son, Godswill, were returning from the plantation at about 5:30 p.m. when three armed men allegedly stopped them and ordered them to kneel.

Narrating the incident, Godswill said the attackers accused his father of killing their cattle.

He said his father repeatedly explained that he was only a rubber tapper and had no involvement in the alleged killing of cattle.

The situation, however, escalated when the men allegedly cocked their guns, prompting Ogoro to flee. According to the boy, the attackers shot at his father as he ran, injuring him.

Ogoro was later rescued after a neighbour, Okom Chibeze, alerted Ujene Matthew Ossai, a member of the Delta North Livestock Management Committee under the state Ministry of Agriculture.

Ossai, accompanied by committee operatives Nzesi Ikechukwu and Peter Igbenu, reportedly mobilised to Umusam Ogbe Junction, where the matter was brought to the attention of the police.

The victim was taken to Donak Hospital, Kwale, where he received medical attention.

The latest attack came barely three months after another alleged confrontation involving a farmer in the same axis.

Ossai said that on June 15, 2026, a 25-year-old farmer, Joseph Terhemen, from Kogi State, was allegedly attacked while working on a farm at Emu Ebendo.

According to him, Terhemen had encountered four herders allegedly encroaching on his farmland and asked them to leave, leading to an altercation.

The matter was reported to the Abbe Police Division and the Livestock Management Committee.

Ossai said he subsequently contacted a herders’ leader in the area, Alhaji Musa Seidu, who denied the allegation.

Another incident was also reported at Abbe, where a motorcycle was allegedly set ablaze. Details surrounding the incident remained unclear.

Ossai said the latest attack had been reported to the Kwale Police Division and appealed for calm, warning that persistent insecurity could further discourage farming in the area.

He said some residents were increasingly afraid to visit their farms, with some abandoning agricultural activities.

Contacted, Delta State Police spokesperson, SP Bright Edafe, confirmed the latest incident.

He said no arrest had been made as of the time of confirmation, adding that the victim was treated at a hospital and discharged. (The Guardian)