Suspected herdsmen on Sunday reportedly killed one of the military officers on peace keeping mission in the Logo LGA of Benue State.
It was gathered that the assailants ambushed the operative and shot him dead on Anyiin-Gbeji Road, while he was on a commercial motorcycle travelling from Uwev, in the Logo area, to Anyiin.
A resident said, “We learnt from his colleagues that he had earlier received a call from his wife that the family was in need of money. So, he took permission on Sunday to go to Anyiin for a bank transaction.
“He boarded a commercial motorcycle around 5pm and on the way, they ran into armed herdsmen who were grazing their cattle freely near Jootar. They (the victim and motorcycle rider) tried to flee from the place, but the herdsmen shot him from the back and fled with their cattle far into the bush.
“The rider, whose motorcycle was also taken away by the attackers, managed to escape into the bush unhurt, from where he raised the alarm. The victim was rushed to a hospital at Ayiin, where he died because he had lost a lot of blood.
“But before his death, he told his colleagues what happened. The efforts of the medical personnel on the ground to save his life proved abortive.”
The Assistant Director, Army Public Relations, 707 Special Forces Brigade, Makurdi, Major Olabisi Ayeni, could not be reached for comment as of the time of this report.