Benue NDC Ward Chairman Found Dead After Suspected Attack

The chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Fiidi Council Ward, Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Igbu Terhemen, has died after he was reportedly attacked by suspected assailants.

Terhemen was said to have been found unconscious in a bush near his residence around the NNPC Depot, along Makurdi-Otukpo Road, on the outskirts of Makurdi, in the early hours of Wednesday.

A friend of the deceased, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Terhemen left home on Tuesday evening to watch a local football match in the Kanshio area but failed to return.

According to the source, his family members and friends became worried and began searching for him before he was discovered in the bush at about 2 a.m. on Wednesday.

The source said Terhemen died before he could receive medical attention, adding that his mobile phone was found on him. The friend also alleged that a needle-like injury was noticed on his body, raising suspicions that he might have been injected with an unknown substance.

The Benue State chapter of the NDC condemned the incident, describing it as the killing of a committed party member who contributed to the growth of the party in the state.

In a statement issued by the party’s state publicity secretary, Agile Bem, the NDC alleged that the attackers tied Terhemen with ropes, injected him with a substance suspected to be poisonous and abandoned him near his residence.

The party said Terhemen was found in a critical condition and could neither speak nor communicate with those who discovered him before he eventually died.

The state chairman of the party, Ohini Ojegbe, called on security agencies to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, identify those responsible and ensure they are brought to justice.

The party described the deceased as a dedicated member whose contributions would be missed, particularly at a time when his services were needed.

However, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Peter Aondongu, said on Wednesday that the command had yet to receive a report on the incident.

The circumstances surrounding Terhemen’s death remain unclear, while the allegations concerning the manner of his attack have yet to be independently confirmed by the police.