Husband Shot Dead, Wife Critically Injured as Alleged Vigilantes Rob Travellers in Delta

By Jason Oghenevieze

A man was shot dead while his wife was beaten and critically injured when an alleged vigilante member attacked travellers along the Uwheru-Ohoro axis of the East-West Road in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State.

The incident occurred between 5am and 6am on Saturday, August 22, 2026, when the couple and the woman’s brother were travelling in an old-model Toyota 4Runner SUV to a market in Bayelsa State.

According to the injured woman, they encountered a road barricade which they initially assumed had been mounted by the police.

She said they stopped after approaching the barricade, only to discover that a man dressed in the uniform of the Uwheru local vigilante group and armed with a pump-action gun was manning the roadblock.

According to her account, the armed man approached the driver and questioned him, asking why he had failed to slow down earlier and whether he had not seen the barricade.

The driver reportedly explained that he did not see the barricade on time.

The woman said the vigilante subsequently demanded money from them, which the driver initially believed was the usual roadside extortion.

She said the driver tried to explain that they were only travelling to the market to sell their goods and did not have money with them.

However, according to her, the armed man became angry and shouted, “Did you think I’m playing?” before shooting the driver in the neck.

She said that after seeing her husband shot, she and her brother, who was seated behind, immediately jumped out of the vehicle and attempted to escape into the bush.

While her brother reportedly succeeded in escaping, the woman slipped and fell.

She alleged that the attacker caught up with her and repeatedly used his gun to beat her until she pleaded for her life.

“I told him, ‘Please spare me, I’m your sister. I’m from Uwheru,’” the woman recounted.

According to her, the attacker then stopped beating her and demanded to know where the money was.

She told him that the money was inside the vehicle, after which he reportedly returned to the SUV, took the bag containing the money and fled.

The woman said her brother later returned from the bush and rushed her to a clinic in Uwheru for treatment, while her husband was subsequently taken to a hospital.

A community source, who spoke on the incident, alleged that the attack was part of a pattern in which criminals operating along the axis disguise themselves as local vigilantes.

According to the source, the alleged attackers sometimes operate in groups, with one person stepping onto the road to stop approaching vehicles while others hide in the darkness along the roadside.

He said the men would allegedly wait until a victim was vulnerable or had stopped before emerging from their hiding places in numbers to attack and dispossess the occupants of their valuables.

The source said it was therefore important for security agencies to investigate whether the attacks were being perpetrated by genuine members of the local vigilante group or by criminals impersonating them.

He added that it would be unfair to immediately conclude that members of the Uwheru community vigilante were responsible for the attacks without investigation.

However, he called for thorough investigation and proper profiling of vigilante personnel operating along the axis to establish their identities and activities.

The latest incident has heightened concerns over the safety of travellers using the Uwheru-Ohoro axis, particularly during the early morning hours.

Security agencies are expected to investigate the killing, alleged robbery and the identity of those behind the attack.

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