By Petera Duru & Boluwaji Obahopo

Makurdi—Two soldiers and two civilians were reportedly killed in Ikobi community, in a fresh attack on Apa Local Government Area of Benue State by suspected armed herdsmen.

This came as a retired Major of the Nigerian Army, Pastor Joe Ajayi, was Wednesday kidnapped by gunmen from his residence in Odo-Ape, Kabba-Bunu LGA of Kogi State.

The herders it was gathered, launched the operation on Ikobi community Wednesday afternoon at about 3:30 p.m.

They reportedly shot and killed the two soldiers stationed in the area and took away their weapons, after which they fired sporadically, killing two more civilians and injuring others.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Apa LGA, Adam Ogwola, said he received a call from the area informing him of the attack, saying “I received a call at about 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday that there was an attack in Ikobi community by armed herdsmen. When I tried to contact some people in the area, there was no response.

“I later heard that two soldiers had been killed. This (Thursday) morning, the bodies of the two civilians were discovered.
“And because of our people’s cultural practices, we do not usually keep such bodies in the mortuary. Since we are in a period of hit-and-run attacks by herdsmen, when it happens, we may not allow the corpses to remain unburied for more than 24 hours.

“So, the civilians have been buried, while the bodies of the late soldiers have been moved from the community. However, I do not know whether they are now in the mortuary in Ugbokpo or in Makurdi.”

The Chairman, who informed that calm had returned to the community, confirmed that “more soldiers and policemen have been deployed to ensure that normalcy returns.”

However, the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Catherine Anene, and the Acting Assistant Director of Army Public Relations, 401 Special Forces Brigade/Sector 1, Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), Makurdi, Captain Abdullahi Osabo, could not be reached at press time.

Kogi kidnap

Ajayi, a former Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria CAN, Kabba-Bunu chapter, was kidnapped around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

According to sources in the community, the gunmen fired shots for over an hour before whisking the retired army officer away to an unknown destination, expressing concern about the victim’s deteriorating health, compounded by his age, and the potential risks his captivity may pose.

The incident has sparked concern in the community, with many calling for increased security measures.

The kidnapping follows a recent outcry by the Okun Development Association (ODA), which highlighted the alarming rate of insecurity in Okunland.

The ODA specifically mentioned the kidnapping of a first-class traditional ruler in Okoloke, Yagba West Local Government Area, and called on the federal and state governments, as well as security agencies, to take action to address the situation.

The ODA’s concerns about insecurity in the area are underscored by this latest incident, which has left the community in shock and fear.

Earlier in the year, a council member was abducted from his house. Three days later, three other people, along with a child, were kidnapped from their farm in the same community.