Five persons, including Mr. Igbabe Ochi, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Otukpo-Akpa State Constituency in the 2019 general election, were killed in the early hours of Tuesday as gunmen struck again in Otobi community, Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The latest attack, which occurred at about 1:30am came barely 48 hours after a kidnap attempt in the Ekwu-Ora Odaba area of the community was foiled by local volunteer guards.
Residents said the attackers, suspected to be armed herders stormed the community and began shooting during which they killed five people and looted food items and other valuables before escaping.
Confirming the incident, President of the Otobi Community Development Association, Mr. John Anyebe, said the attackers accessed the community through the railway station bridge from the Ijami side.
“They first shot a resident near the water board before heading to the transformer junction, where Honourable Igbabe Ochi and four others were seated. They opened fire and later looted nearby shops for food,” Anyebe said.
The Benue State Police Command in a statement confirmed the incident, saying that investigation has begun to arrest the perpetrators.
Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, however said that four people were killed during the attack.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Otukpo-Akpa State Constituency, Mr. Kennedy Angbo, described the situation as alarming, noting that the killings occurred amid a string of violent incidents in the area.
“Five of my people have been killed again in Otobi, barely a year after 13 were massacred on April 15, 2025,” Angbo said.
He also disclosed that on Sunday evening, gunmen attacked a Benue Links bus at the Burnt Bricks area of Otukpo, leaving three passengers hospitalised.
Angbo called on security agencies to urgently intensify intelligence gathering and launch sustained operations to flush out what he described as “terrorists” operating around Otukpo and neighbouring communities.
