What was supposed to be a reunion with family ended in tragedy for a Nigerian man who returned home from the United Kingdom earlier this year.
Forty-four-year-old Samson Onotakaroma Agidotan reportedly travelled to Nigeria to spend time with loved ones, but never made it back.
According to accounts shared by family members and friends, Samson was kidnapped shortly after arriving in Delta State.
Weeks later, his lifeless body was reportedly discovered in a bush near Asaba, bringing a heartbreaking end to a case that has left relatives and friends devastated.
The tragedy only became widely known after one of Samson’s close friends in the UK, Omoike Erewele, shared an emotional account on social media.
According to Omoike, he was driving from Peterborough to London when he received an unexpected phone call from a woman asking whether he knew someone named Samson.
At first, he thought little of the call.
But moments later, the woman sent him a photograph.
To his shock, it was his close friend.
Omoike said he had tried calling Samson days earlier but noticed that his UK phone number had been switched off — something he described as unusual.
The woman later identified herself as Samson’s wife and informed him that her husband had travelled to Nigeria before being kidnapped on January 24, 2026.
She reportedly told him that Samson’s body was eventually found on February 17.
The heartbreaking revelation left Omoike struggling to process the news.
Describing Samson as one of the kindest people he had met in the UK, he said the deceased was known for his humility, peaceful nature and hardworking spirit.
More painful, he added, is the reality that Samson leaves behind a wife and daughter who must now cope with the loss.
Friends who knew him say he was full of life and always willing to help others.
Samson was laid to rest in his hometown of Okpanam on May 22, with family members, friends and community members gathering to pay their final respects.
His death has once again drawn attention to growing concerns about kidnapping and insecurity in parts of Nigeria, particularly incidents involving Nigerians returning home from abroad.
For many who knew him, however, the conversation is less about statistics and more about a life cut short far too soon.
