Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen have killed Mr. Sunday Oche, the Labour Party Chairman for Igumale Ward 1 in Ado Local Government Area, Benue State.
The attack occurred as Oche was returning from his farm alongside five others. According to Vanguard, the others escaped with serious injuries.
A friend of the deceased who spoke anonymously to the newspaper said, “There were six of them who went to the farm on two motorbikes.
“They were coming back around 4:30pm when they ran into the ambush of armed herdsmen who were all over the place in Ado LGA.”
According to the source, the “armed herders flagged them down and immediately shot the chairman who was the first person they confronted”.
He reportedly died on the spot.
“When others realised it was an ambush, they tried to escape but the five of them also sustained serious injuries. Though they eventually escaped abandoning their motorbikes,” the source added.
Local youths reportedly went to the crime scene but found that the attackers had already fled, leaving behind Oche’s body.
Benue State Labour Party Publicity Secretary Tersoo Orbunde confirmed the tragic incident, saying, “He is a Ward Chairman from Igumale, Sunday Oche. He went to his cassava farm and he was attacked and killed. They have brought the corpse back.
“Our people have gone there to console the family and we are waiting for them to arrange for his burial to see how we can come in. The matter has also been reported to the police for necessary action.”
However, Police Public Relations Officer Superintendent Catherine Anene said she had not yet received information about the incident.
Oche’s burial is scheduled for Thursday, September 5, 2024, while the injured persons were taken to the hospital for treatment.
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