By Peter Duru, Makurdi
A commercial driver, Igba Agenewe, has been killed by suspected armed men while three soldiers travelling in his vehicle were reportedly abducted along the Anyiin-Ayilamo road in Logo Local Government Area (LGA), of Benue State.
Agenewe, a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Wurukum branch, Anyiin section, was reportedly returning to Makurdi from Anyiin when the gunmen emerged from the bush and opened fire on his vehicle.
The incident, which occurred on Monday, has thrown members of the union and the deceased’s colleagues into mourning.
Agenewe, who operated from the Wurukum Park in Makurdi, had earlier driven his Sharon bus to Anyiin town with passengers.
According to a member of the union, Iorember Tser, the deceased was warned against returning to Makurdi through Ayilamo because of the worsening security situation on the route.
Tser said, “When he got to Anyiin, he wanted to return to Makurdi. Some drivers told him that the road was not safe because of the prolonged suspected herders-farmers crisis in Ayilamo, which is a 10-minute drive from Anyiin. He however, insisted on returning to Makurdi, saying, ‘I just passed through the road.’
It was gathered that Agenewe subsequently picked up three passengers said to be military personnel and headed towards Makurdi.
However, “when he passed a town called Akwana heading towards Ayilamo, unknown gunmen emerged from the bush and shot him. He died on the spot.
The three soldiers were abducted but later regained freedom and returned to Anyiin.”
He said the incident has heightened concerns about the safety of motorists and commuters using the Abinsi-Tyulen-Anyiin-Wukari road, particularly the Ayilamo axis, which has seen security challenges linked to the prolonged conflict in the area.
The owner of the Sharon bus, Mr Aondona Tyulen, described the killing of his driver as unfortunate and appealed to security agencies to apprehend the perpetrators.
Tyulen called on the authorities to intensify security operations in the area and ensure that those responsible for the killing were brought to justice.
The remains of Agenewe had, as of the time of filing this report, been deposited at the Ayilamo mortuary.
Efforts to obtain a reaction from the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Peter Aondongu, had not responded to enquiries on the incident as of press time.
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