Suspected herdsmen kill tax collector, kidnap 3 in Benue

Suspected herdsmen militia have murdered a tax collector, Mr Joseph Ochaigwu at Opepa, Ijaha in the riverine area of Gwer-West Local Government area of Benue State.

Daybreak NG gathered that the incident happened around 8pm on Friday.

The deceased was killed while resting on a plastic chair in his compound.

One of the deceased’s sons, Jonah Joseph who was crying in a phone conversion while narrating the story said , his father was killed at point-blank while relaxing in their compound.

“I was sitting near my father, the Fulani who killed my father were about 5. They came, shot him on the head and chest. They also shot severally on the air before leaving while we were hiding at different locations at the compound”, Jonah said.

An eyewitness, Echewija Ochohepo through a telephone call, described the incident as a targeted murder as he was shot on the head and chest at close range.

“While were at home eating our dinner after returning from farm, he heard sporadic gunshots at Joseph’s compound. We ran away for a while, later came back and met his lifeless body with gunshots on the head and chest”, Echewija said.

In another sad development, suspected Fulani herdsmen on Thursday, 30th June, 2022, kidnapped 3 young men from two villages in Agatu Local Government Area of Benue state.

Those kidnapped include: Silas and Samson from Odejo and Alade Olotu from Ugboju.

An eyewitness, Iyu Goche said, “the victims were lured by the kidnappers who called them to come and buy cows and held them on reaching there.”

He added that the kidnappers have established contact with relatives of the victims through a phone belonging to one of the kidnapped victims, are demanding for 2 million naira as ransom which must be brought to them at a nearby riverine village of Ocholonya.

It was learnt that the kidnappers rejected 1 million naira raised by the communities, insisting that the N2m ransom being demanded must be met before their freedom or they would be killed.

Efforts by our correspondent to reach the spokesperson of the state police command, Catherine Anene, were unsuccessful as at press time, as she did not respond to calls made to her phone for a long time.

By Olikita Ekani