Benue lawmakers escape gun attack

Gunmen, on Thursday night, attacked five members of the Benue State House of Assembly along Makurdi-Gboko highway in Benúe State.

Witnesses said the incident happened about 10pm at Tyomu, a village situated 16 Kilometers distance from Makurdi, the state capital.

The witnesses said the gunmen earlier launched an attack on the villagers before spreading to motorists plying the route.

One of the affected lawmakers, Saater Tiseer, who is Majority Leader of the House, told our correspondent in Makurdi that they ran into the scene of attack while returning from an official assignment in Gboko.

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Tiseer, however, said they escaped unhurt.

Meanwhile, the House on Friday condemned the attack on its members and other law-abiding citizens.

Chairman House Committee on Information and Orientation, Elias Audu, in a statement, noted that the incident occurred at 10pm while the members were returning from Katsina-Ala after public hearing on a bill for a law to provide for the establishment of Benue State Civil Protection Guards.

Audu explained that the attackers numbering more than 40 on motorcycles ambushed the lawmakers at Tyo-mu and shot severally at the vehicles conveying them.

He listed the affected lawmakers to include; Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer, Chief Whip, Ipusu Bemdoo, the member representing Logo constituency, Samuel Jiji, his counterpart of Mata constituency, Simon Gabo and Cephas Dyaku.

Audu regretted that residents of Tyo-mu community and Mbakera have been under attack for several days, emphasising the need for security operatives to rescue them.