By Peter Duru, Makurdi

The youth group of Benue socio-cultural organisation under the aegis of Omi Ny’Igede Youth Wing Develoment Assocaition, ONYWDA, Worldwide, has condemned the gruesome murder of an Igede Pastor, Micheal Agaba and demanded for justice over his death.

The group in a statement Tuesday by its President General, Cletus Aruta and Secretary, Ogbu Iji described the murder of the cleric, who until his death was a Pastor of one of the old generation churches, as callous and unjustifiable.

It noted that Pastor Agaba who hailed from Opiem Owo Community of Oju Local Government Area, LGA, of the state died in a bizarre manner during a row with a commercial vehicle operator in Abuja.

The group claimed that the deceased met his untimely death January 6, 2025 while on his way back to his Abuja base after spending some time in his home town to attend the burial of an in-law.

It noted that the deceased “had been at home for sometime for his in-law’s burial and just returned from Oju on January 6, 2025 to his base in Abuja.”

According to ONYWDA, Pastor Agaba got to Abuja and boarded a commercial vehicle that would take him to the nearest bus-stop to his residence but the driver of the said vehicle, rather than take him to the said bus-stop as agreed before he boarded the vehicle, allegedly wanted to drop him off somewhere else.

The statement explained that the deceased however “insisted that the driver dropped him at his preferred bus stop, but the driver refused vehemently and took him to a park which was still far away from his junction and would cost him more to get home. He then insisted that the driver paid his fare back to his bus-stop.”

The group alleged that the argument that ensued led to a fight and the deceased collapsed and went into coma “and he was later confirmed dead at the hospital he was taken to.”

It assured that the issue had already been taken over by the police reiterating that group would not rest until justice was done in the matter.