By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The palace of the Clan Head of Ikpomolokpo in Gege Ward of Ado Local Government Area, LGA, of Benue State, Chief Micheal Oche was early Monday attacked by unknown armed men who killed his son, Thompson Oche and also abducted his daughter.

Vanguard gathered from a native of the community who identified himself as Otokpa that the gunmen stormed the home of the monarch around 2am on Monday

“They came shooting sporadically around 2am today and woke people from their sleep and everyone scampered for safety not knowing that the people came for the Chief of the community. They killed his son Thompson and kidnapped his daughter,” he said.

Confirming the attack, Chairman of Ado LGA, Chief James Oche said, “some gunmen at about 2am today broke into the home of the Clan Head of Ikpomolokpo after scaling the fence of the house and asked his son Thompson the whereabouts of his mother, the Chief’s wife.

“The young man told them that he did not know where his mother was; they immediately shot him dead. They then took his sister away. We reliably gathered that she was taken to Adiga forest, an area that has been their safe haven and from where they unleash attacks on our people and our communities.”

The Chairman said the moment he got wind of the attack he alerted troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, OPWS, but regretted that before the troops got to the palace the gunmen had  escaped into the forest located around Okpokwu LGA.

“As I’m talking to you now, the troops are on their trail. And I want to make a special appeal that we join forces with the security personnel to comb that forest because these marauders invade our communities and homes from that forest,” the Chairman said.

Efforts to get the reaction of the spokesman of Operation Whirl Stroke, Hussaini Audu were not successful. Also, the State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent, DSP, Catherine Anene did not pick her call.