Gunmen kill livestock guard in Benue

Gunmen have killed a member of the Benue State Livestock Guards at Mballgh council ward in Makurdi Local Government Area of the state.

The Special Adviser on Security Matters to Benue State Governor, Lt. Col Paul Hemba (rtd), told newsmen at a news conference on Saturday, that one other security personnel sustained injuries on his eyes.

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Hemba explained that the incident happened on Friday about 4:00pm while the deceased alongside his colleagues and some personnel of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence (NSCDC) were on routine patrol.

He said the men were returning from the remote area behind the NASME barracks when the gunmen ambushed the troop, killing one and wounding the other.

He added that the wounded has been taken to the hospital for treatment while the body of the deceased deposited in the morgue.

The special adviser observed that the pattern used by the bandits in series of attacks in recent times include opening gunfire on unsuspecting villagers who did nothing to provoke them.

On his part, Commander of the Livestock Guards, Linus Zaki, narrated that himself and the other security personnel went on the patrol on motorbikes and were on their way back to Makurdi town when the gunmen suddenly opened fire on them from two sides of the road.

Zaki further explained that while some of them escaped unhurt, the deceased was hit by a bullet and killed on the spot while the other sustained bullet wounds around his eyes.

The commander, however, intimated that his men would not be deterred by the attacks but continue to enforce the law.