Three persons were reportedly killed, while many others, including the Benue State correspondent of the Business Day newspapers, Benjamin Agesan, were shot by gunmen in the early hours of Monday along the Katsina-Ala/Tiowanye highway.
It was gathered that Agesan, who had apparently spent the weekend in the village and was returning to Makurdi had initially boarded a public transport when he met some of his friends who were also going the same route in their private car and decided to join them. One of Agesan’s friends, Jerry Iorngean, on the telephone, said the deceased actually decided to join his friends to save cost.
Iorngean said unknown to Agesan, some occupants of his friend’s vehicle were local task collectors, who were conveying huge sums of money to Makurdi and were being trailed by the gunmen without their knowledge.
“Shortly after takeoff, the gunmen trailed the vehicle to about five kilometres and shot at it, and in the process, punctured its tyres which caused it to Summersault into the bush.
“They then ransacked the vehicle, killing three occupants while money said to be in millions were also stolen by the gunmen, leaving the correspondent in the pool of his own blood.”
When contacted, the state police public relations officer, Catherine Anene, confirmed the incident but disclosed that one person was killed by gunmen, while others are receiving treatment.
It is learnt that Agesan is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Makurdi.
