What began as a simple birthday visit on Sunday, October 12, 2025, turned into a devastating tragedy for the family of Oghenekaro Ugochukwu Bonny, a 36-year-old father of two and expectant father of a third, who was allegedly stabbed to death by a soldier in Warri, Delta State.
Ugochukwu, a graduate of Computer Engineering, had spent the day with his elder sister, Joy, celebrating his niece’s birthday. “He was full of life,” Joy recounted. “He played with the kids, helped with the cake setup, and even bought fuel when our generator ran out. He was his usual cheerful self.”
After the celebration, Ugochukwu left with two close friends, Peace and Elohor, intending to return home. On their way, they decided to stop by a friend’s house inside a nearby estate. However, as they approached the estate gate, an encounter with security personnel turned fatal.
According to eyewitnesses, after being cleared by estate security, Ugochukwu drove in, but a soldier stationed nearby stopped him and demanded to know why he had entered. Despite calmly explaining that he had been cleared by security, the soldier reportedly slapped him.
When Ugochukwu stepped out of his navy-blue Honda car to ask why he was assaulted, another soldier allegedly rushed toward him with a dagger and stabbed him in the hand and stomach. His friends watched in horror as he collapsed, bleeding profusely.
One of the friends, Peace, said he managed to pull off the attacker’s name tag, which read *“Sefiu”*, before rushing Ugochukwu to a nearby Navy hospital. Unfortunately, doctors later confirmed him dead.
The friend they had gone to visit reportedly arrived moments later and questioned the soldiers on why they had attacked his guest, but by then, it was too late.
Ugochukwu leaves behind a pregnant wife and two young children. “He was everything to us,” his grieving wife said. “How do I tell our children their father is gone? He won’t even be here to see our new baby.”
The incident has sparked outrage in the Warri community, with family and friends demanding justice. “We can’t just move on like this didn’t happen,” Peace said. “He was a good man who didn’t deserve to die this way.”
The killing has reignited calls for greater accountability among Nigeria’s security personnel, with residents urging the military authorities to investigate and prosecute those responsible.
For now, a family mourns a beloved husband and father, a man whose only “crime” was obeying estate security instructions. His death adds to the growing list of Nigerians whose lives have been cut short by the excessive force of those sworn to protect them.
