Bandits have killed five persons in a fresh attack on Otobi community in Otukpo local government area of Benue State.

Among the victims is a House of Assembly candidate for Otukpo-Akpa State Constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2019 general election, Igbabe Ochi.

The attack, which happened at about 1:03am on Tuesday morning, followed a Sunday night kidnapping attempt at Ekwu-Ora’Odaba in Otobi, foiled by the community volunteers’ guards commander, Ocheme Jackson, and his team, prompting a high security alert in the community.

Local sources confirmed that the community has been singled out by suspected herdsmen for attacks, following the killing of 13 persons on April 15, 2025, and another attack that claimed three more lives in May 2025.

“Following Sunday’s Kidnap attempt, community volunteers guard members with the support of youths in the area, kept patrol and surveillance teams across the community up until 12.00 am on Tuesday morning before retiring to rest,” the source said.

“The surveillance team from the railway crossing into Ijami part of Otobi pulled back to rest, at about 1.30 am, the gunmen, suspected to be herdsmen, stormed the community and started shooting, killing five persons in the process, and looted foodstuff and other valuables.”

When contacted, the President of Otobi Community Development Association, John Anyebe, said the attackers came through the railway station bridge from the Ijami part of Otobi and headed to where the victims were sitting, not far from the transformer junction.

“Yes, the attack is carried out by suspected herdsmen who have been terrorizing our community, shooting one person close to the water board before heading to where Honourable Igbabe Ochi and four others were seated and open fire on them, looting the stores around for food and other valuables,” Ayebe said.

The President of Otobi Community Development Association lamented the killing of his people first on April 15th, 2025, where 13 persons were killed, two weeks after three other persons were killed at the Omebe axis of Otobi Community.

However, the Benue State Police Command is yet to react to the incident.

When contacted, the Command’s spokesman, Udeme Edet, did not reply to calls or messages sent to his telephone.

But the lawmaker representing Otukpo-Akpa state constituency, Kennedy Angbo, while speaking with Channels Television, lamented the persistent attacks on his constituency.

He said on Sunday, travellers on a Benue links bus were attacked at Burnt bricks Otukpo, where three persons were hospitalised from the incident.

“You can imagine that five of my people have been killed again at Otobi community of Akpa district, barely a year after the killing of thirteen persons on April 15th 2025.

“On Sunday at about 7.00 pm, around Burnt bricks, Otukpo, these gunmen opened fire on travellers, injuring three persons, and it was just God protecting them from previous fatality. So, I am calling on the security agencies to do more on intelligence gathering and counter operations to flush out these terrorists from our surroundings,” he said. (Channels TV)

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