A 15-year-old commercial tricycle rider, known only as ‘Smally,’ was brutally hacked to death with a battle axe by a man identified as Jereoma from Jeddo Community, Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State.
Reports indicate that ‘Smally’ had only recently entered the tricycle business, operating between Ugbuwangue and Ogunu communities in Warri South Local Government Area. On the night of the incident, he picked up Jereoma for a chartered ride from Ugbuwangue to Ogunu between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. Tragically, he was attacked shortly after reaching Ogunu.
Following the attack, the assailant discarded ‘Smally’s’ remains near a plantain farm beside a private school at the Ogunu head bridge. A member of the Ugbuwangue task force, who preferred to remain anonymous, reported that after killing the young rider, Jereoma attempted to flee with the tricycle but crashed it into a ditch.
Witnesses, including Hausa traders who observed the crash, rushed to assist the rider. Upon seeing Jereoma covered in blood and with the tricycle, they grew suspicious. When they questioned him about the ownership of the tricycle, he struggled to provide clear answers.
Concerned for their safety and wanting to investigate further, the traders contacted the chairman of the Ugbuwangue community task force, who, along with his team, apprehended Jereoma and took him to a community security post for questioning. Unsatisfied with his responses, they subsequently brought him to a nearby military post on the NPA expressway, where he continued to refuse to disclose the whereabouts of ‘Smally.’
Meanwhile, other tricycle riders in the area conducted a search and eventually discovered the mutilated body of the 15-year-old, whose head had been gruesomely severed from behind. This shocking incident has sent ripples of fear and anger through the community, highlighting concerns about safety and rising violence in the area.