Insecurity: Benue Councilor-Elect And Cousin Beheaded by Suspected Herdsmen

Uneasiness has continued to trail Onwupa and Orokam communities over the heightened action of kidnappers in the area.

On Thursday, some suspected herdsmen beheaded a councilor-elect and his cousin in the Orokam community in Ogbadibo local government area of Benue state.

The incident has created tension in the council area as the youths in the area have continued to protest. The youths from Orokam and Onwupa barricaded the highway in protest of the killings and kidnappings in the areas.

The councilor-elect name has been given as Paul Ojile. He was elected councilor for Orokam III on April 30, 2022, but is yet to be inaugurated. He had gone in search of kidnap victims from his village with his cousin, hunters, some vigilante members, and members of Operation Zenda when the two were killed.

On Friday, the chairman of Ogbadibo Local Government Area, Samuel Onu, confirmed the incident to newsmen.

The chairman also said that kidnapping in the area is being carried out by Fulanis. According to the chairman, the cases of kidnapping have continued to occur in the area, and herdsmen have been troubling the area in the last three days.

The councilor-elect who is a hunter had entered the forest with others in an attempt to rescue the men kidnapped in Orokam village where the councilor lives.

On the return of the group on Thursday, they noticed that the councilor and his cousin were missing. They were able to arrest two of the herders who have been taken to Makurdi by Operation Zenda.

On Friday, the beheaded bodies of the councilor-elect and his cousin were found when the group re-entered the forest in search of them. There is no news on whether the kidnaped victims the group went to rescue were found.

The Public Relations Officer of the Police, Catherine Anne said they were yet to get the report.