Barely 24 hours after gunmen attacked a Benue Links bus along the Otukpo axis of Benue State, suspected armed herders have killed a retired soldier in the town, deepening fears over the security situation.
The former military officer, a retired Master Warrant Officer of the Nigerian Army identified as Anyebe, was killed on Sunday in the Asa 2 area of Otukpo. Residents said the attackers stormed his residence and shot him dead, triggering panic in the neighbourhood.
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IDOMA VOICE, a community newspaper, reported that the same group of attackers also struck the Obaganya area of the town on the same day, where they shot a man and abducted his wife and infant child before fleeing into the surrounding bushes.
In another incident, gunmen opened fire on a vehicle conveying market women in the FTC Otobi axis of Otukpo as they returned from a market in Utonkon, Ado Local Government Area. Police operatives were said to have intervened, forcing the attackers to retreat and preventing casualties.
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A resident and community leader, Meddy Olotu, described the situation as alarming and warned that the town was sliding into chaos. “Otukpo is boiling. This town is no longer safe. If urgent steps are not taken, the situation may get completely out of hand,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, the Benue State Police Command had yet to speak on the incidents. Calls to the Police Public Relations Officer, Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful as her phone line was inaccessible.
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported that the killing came shortly after a Lagos-bound Benue Links bus was ambushed around the Burnt Bricks area of Otukpo. During the attack, gunmen reportedly emerged from the bushes and opened fire on the vehicle, injuring three passengers who were later rushed to the hospital for treatment.
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READ ALSO: Two security operatives killed in fresh attack on Benue community
A series of violent incidents across Benue State in recent weeks includes attacks on commercial vehicles, the killing of two security operatives in Kwande Local Government Area, and the murder of five farmers by suspected armed herders.
The newspaper also reported cult-related clashes in Makurdi, Gboko and Otukpo that left at least eight people dead between late December and early January, underscoring growing concerns over insecurity across the state.
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