By Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, South-South & Festus Ahon

UBULU-UKU – DESPICABLE, abominable, horrible, detestable, repugnant, name it. But words are not enough to express the act that has caused agony for the people of Ubulu-Uku Kingdom in Aniocha South Local Government Area of the State.

DELTA MONACHTheir monarch, HRM Akaeze Edward Ofulue III, abducted 19 days ago at about 4.00 pm, on January 5, 2016, by suspected Fulani herdsmen, was discovered stone dead 15 days after the creepy incident.

In Ubulu-Uku and other kingdoms, it is a taboo to kidnap a king, not to talk of killing him. Vigilante group members found his decomposing remains at the stomp of a tree in the bush at Umunede, Ika North East local government area, the boundary between Delta and Edo States.

Ofulue III, a lawyer, businessperson and an ardent Christian of the Deeper Life Bible ministry was driving with a young pastor of the church, who also served as one of his aides in his Land Cruiser Jeep, along the notorious Obior/Igbodo Road when the abductors struck at a disgracefully bad spot. The bad spot, about 40 kilometers from his country home, has been a flash-point in recent times – many persons, including two Catholic Priests were kidnapped at the spot by suspected Fulani herdsmen, who more often than not lay siege there.

How we identified his remains

A vigilante group member, who pleaded anonymity, said they discovered two decomposing corpses in the bush but were able to identify the monarch “because of his beads and apparel,” adding, “The king’s corpse was found resting at the bottom of a palm tree.” The source, who was cornered by our correspondent in the community, said; “We could not identify the second body but the fellow had Hausa shoes on. This is a very challenging period for us in this kingdom. I was one of those who went in search of the king.”



Robbery in the palace

Independent investigation by Sunday Vanguard showed that HRM Ofulue III, who was 10 years on the throne this year just marked the anniversary and was duped of some money running into millions of naira and items, including royal beads by one of his houseboys from the northern part of the country.

A dependable source said, “He kept N2million in the palace but his houseboy allegedly stole the money and ran away with the items.”

Set-up

He added, “I learned that some days after, unknown persons suspected to be the Fulani herdsmen called the king, claiming that they saw his beads and money and that he should come to collect them. They told him to drive to the notorious road and the king not knowing that it was a set-up, set out to meet with them. His fleeing houseboy linked up with the herdsmen, who talked him into arranging the monarch for ransom.

However, Sunday Vanguard could not confirm whether the pastor that went with him and his driver knew that anybody invited the king or that he was on a mission to meet the kidnappers, who pretended to have found his beads.

However, while a version said only he and the pastor were in the car, another said they were three, including his driver.

“At the bad spot, the herdsmen, who laid ambush, came out shooting sporadically. It was obvious they were old in the game, as they led him into the bush immediately leaving his SUV on the roadside.

From available information, the fleeing houseboy did not show up, but it was through him they got the monarch’s phone number with which they established contact.



Deadly escape

Miraculously, both the king and the pastor, managed to break out from the kidnappers’ grip a day after their abduction, but while the pastor was able to make it to Ubulu-Uku, the king could not.

A villager said, the pastor told the story of how he and the monarch broke loose from their abductors, but while he, being younger was able to run with more energy, the monarch, due to his age, could not make it because of exhaustion.

The king reportedly complained that he was tired and needed to rest, but the pastor ran to the community to inform the people. He gave a graphic description of the area in the bush where they took them to, but before any of the search parties could get there, the Fulani herdsmen found the king and took him away.

The escape of the pastor actually raised the villagers’ hope that they could find their king alive and gave them more impetus to comb the forest in search of him, but that was not to be.

The police confirmed the story of the pastor’s escape from the kidnappers den. The pastor, according to our sources, narrated how the herdsmen beat him mercilessly in the bush but spared the king because they know his status.

He disclosed that they took them inside the forest in Mbiri area, closer to Umunede and that their abductors came out when the monarch’s driver slowed down the Jeep at the bad spot.



Contact with palace

Inside the bush, just like the recent kidnap of the former Secretary to the Federal Government, SFG, Chief Olu Falae, by Fulani herdsmen in the Southwest region, they asked the king for the names and phone numbers of his trusted family member that would pay ransom for his release.

The suspected kidnappers established contact with the palace after about three days that they had taken the king hostage and made a demand of N100 million ransom, but later settled for N30 million after much negotiation.

They reportedly requested to speak with one of the monarch’s brothers, Nzekwue Don Ofulue, and warned him never to inform the police about the matter. It was not clear if he hinted the police but the kidnappers subsequently asked the family to bring the ransom to Auchi. On getting to Auchi in Edo State, they instructed him to move to Benin and later to Kwale in Delta State. Frustration

With the escape of the pastor, the abductors became quite perturbed and panicky. They knew that the game had become more dangerous with the police and the community people looking for them, but they were still desperate to collect the ransom. “It was to divert the attention of the police and people hunting for them that they asked the family to bring the ransom to Auchi in Edo State and when they got there, they told them to come to Benin and later Kwale,” a source said. However, they were very suspicious that the family had contacted security agents and that they would be arrested once they come out to collect the ransom.



Murder of a king

Our source was not certain whether the houseboy met with the monarch in the kidnappers den after the escape of the pastor or whether the king tried another escape, but the herdsmen took a decision that it was in their best interest to kill the king. They fled after killing him and ceased further communication with the family. Unknown to family members and elders, who thought the king was still alive and furtively discussing how to pay the kidnappers the ransom, but wondering at the same time why the abductors had cut-off communication, the Fulani herdsmen had abandoned the remains of the monarch in the forest and fled.



Dashed expectation

Not many believed the saga would end tragically for the king. In fact, the police in the state kept telling journalists that the monarch was not dead and that it was closing-in on the kidnappers.

From the comments of the Delta State Commissioner of Police, Baba Alkali Usman, it was obvious, however, that the police knew about the kidnappers’ contact with the family and demand for ransom.

Speaking at Udu in Udu local government area of the state at a meeting with the Police Community Relations Committee, PCRC days before villagers found the remains of the monarch, he said the police was trying to rescue them alive.

He said the police was aware of the location of the monarch and another kidnap-victim, a neurologist with the Delta State University Teaching Hospital, DELSUTH, Oghara, abducted before the New Year.

The police commissioners said the police was aware of the location where the kidnappers were holding the two victims but would not disclose plans to rescue the monarch in the media.

He said, “The kidnappers have made calls. We have been able to close-in on their location. We have not been able to rescue them because we are doing a lot of planning. The process of rescuing is delicate so you must be very cautious so that you do not harm the victims”.



Fresh clue!

However, a source close to the palace hinted that security agents arrested a young Hausa man found with the king’s GSM handset, five days ago by the Police.

As at yesterday, Sunday Vanguard could not confirm the identity of the second person whose remains the vigilante members also found alongside the king. A source said the other victim wore a Hausa shoe. It has not been established whether he was an aide of the king or one of the kidnappers eliminated to cover their tracks.

Continues

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/how-fulani-herdsmen-abducted-killed-delta-monarch/

Buhari's brothers killing their fellow nigerian citizens sine 1914 without remorse

So sad.

Hmmmmmm
It's My Birthday Today and You All Know The Normal Tradition.

Unfortunately, nothing has been said about checking the excesses of these herdsmen, even after the high profile kidnap of Olu Falae. Fulani herdsmen have shed more blood and constitute more nuisance than Zakzaky and his followers, yet nobody from the presidency has said anything about them. Even el-Rufai and Oshiomhole of the verbal diarrhea have been quiet on the matter. Issokay.

So pathetic!!!
May his soul rest in peace.

out of all the problems d country is facing economically, boko haram bombings all around d north, we neva finish to dey worry, all these fulani people still wanna add tribalistic war.. na wa oh

I doubt it was Fulani herdsmen. They have absolutely no motive in this killing. This is some serious manipulation

A very sad news

Don't say I didn't say. We are talking of "Fulani Herdsmen" abducting and killing prominent Chiefs and Notary Publics all over the South of Nigeria and we all seem to be joking with the development? Isn't this a grand design by the North to use what they know best to take over from where Bokoharam left? A Daura Chief at GEJ Selected National Conference once hinted that his kingdom extended more into Chad and Cameroon Republics and so wouldn't really care to contribute to stalling progress in the South of Nigeria. While the FG is still struggling to stop Bokoharam in the NE, the Governments of the NW, NC, SC, SE, SW and SS should arm up to stop resurgent activities of bokoharam, biafra, Fulani Herdsmen , bad politics etc. Aren't we tired of devastating Nigeria any further, when all we need is sit together and adopt "Management by Integration" to give Nigeria a new lease of life?

Adminisher:
I doubt it was Fulani herdsmen. They have absolutely no motive in this killing. This is some serious manipulation

how come you guys always doubt when people say they were kidnapped by Fulani herdsmen even when the victims say so. Happened with Falae, happening here again

Adminisher:
I doubt it was Fulani herdsmen. They have absolutely no motive in this killing. This is some serious manipulation

What is their motive in their raid in middle belt? What is their motive in Olu Falae's kidnap? Some of you just open your mouths and spew trash like one who reasons with the anus.

MissingBudget:
Unfortunately, nothing has been said about checking the excesses of these herdsmen, even after the high profile kidnap of Olu Falae. Fulani herdsmen have shed more blood and constitute more nuisance than Zakzaky and his followers, yet nobody from the presidency has said anything about them. Even el-Rufai and Oshiomhole of the verbal diarrhea have been quiet on the matter. Issokay.

during the Falae debacle I suggested once again that the herdsmen must be compelled to operate cattle ranches instead of trekking thousands of kilometers and destroying peoples farms along the way but you'll be surprised that educated Fulani men violently kicked against that suggestion claiming this was their traditional means of livelihood. I asked if destroying peoples farmlands, ráping peoples wives and daughters and killing them was also part of their livelihood also ? Funny country where a visitor who comes through your community has the right to kill you. I bet you nothing will happen in this case except the people resort to self help then let the skies fall

North get land plenty but they choose to extend their grip on other parts of the country and any body that supports theit act is a confirm terrorist. They should remain in Niger, kaduna, nasarawa and so on. Green lands borku for there. I dey vex this morning a lot of things are really going wrong in this country. God help us.

@Talktimi u spoke well. But will Nigeria govt ever listen. Majority of those in sensitive positions are fulanis so what changes do u expect. They should practice their way of life in the northern regions were Islam is their major religion. I pity this country

Every kidnapper is a Fulani herdsman nowadays.

I don’t believe this false identity one bit. Unseen Fulani herdsmen strategising to collect ransome after kidnapping a monarch by calling him to come collect some items earlier stolen at his palace? Who saw the kidnappers to conclude they are fulani?

This is the height of bullshit crime investigation. The culprits are citizens of that very community or neighbouring villages.

If you say Fulani herdsmen killed a farmer over grazing land, or stormed a village by night and butchered its inhabitants, then I will believe.

We need state police in Nigeria

StOla:
Every kidnapper is a Fulani herdsman nowadays.

I don’t believe this false identity one bit. Unseen Fulani herdsmen strategising to collect ransome after kidnapping a monarch by calling him to come collect some items earlier stolen at his palace? Who saw the kidnappers to conclude they are fulani?

This is the height of bullshit crime investigation. The culprits are citizens of that very community or neighbouring villages.

If you say Fulani herdsmen killed a farmer over grazing land, or stormed a village by night and butchered its inhabitants, then I will believe.

You said same thing about Falae's case, broh

Adminisher:
I doubt it was Fulani herdsmen. They have absolutely no motive in this killing. This is some serious manipulation

Have fulanis ever had motive for anything they do?

Adminisher:
I doubt it was Fulani herdsmen. They have absolutely no motive in this killing. This is some serious manipulation

You must be new in Nigeria.

Emekamex:


You must be new in Nigeria.

I guess he would have had a different opinion if the report said Igbo man or Ijaw man as the perpetrators