Bandits have killed five persons in a fresh attack on Otobi community in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State.
Among the victims was Igbabe Ochi, a former House of Assembly candidate for the Otukpo-Akpa State Constituency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2019 general election.
The attack occurred at about 1:30am on Tuesday and followed a kidnapping attempt on Sunday night at Ekwu-Ora’Odaba in Otobi, which was foiled by community volunteer guards led by their commander, Ocheme Jackson. The failed abduction reportedly placed the community on high security alert.
Local sources said Otobi has remained a target of repeated attacks by suspected herdsmen, following the killing of 13 persons on April 15, 2025, and another incident in May 2025 in which three people were killed.
“Following Sunday’s kidnap attempt, community volunteer guard members, with the support of youths in the area, kept patrol and surveillance teams across the community until about midnight on Tuesday before retiring to rest,” a source said.
“The surveillance team covering the railway crossing into the Ijami part of Otobi withdrew at about 1:30am. Shortly after, the gunmen, suspected to be herdsmen, stormed the community, opened fire, killed five persons and looted foodstuff and other valuables.”
Confirming the incident, the President of the Otobi Community Development Association, John Anyebe, said the attackers entered the community through the railway station bridge from the Ijami axis and headed to where the victims were seated near the transformer junction.
“Yes, the attack was carried out by suspected herdsmen who have been terrorising our community. They shot one person close to the water board before moving to where Honourable Igbabe Ochi and four others were sitting, opened fire on them and then looted nearby shops of food and other valuables,” Anyebe said.
He lamented the recurring killings in the community, recalling that 13 people were murdered on April 15, 2025, while three others were killed two weeks later at the Omebe axis of Otobi.
As of the time of filing this report, the Benue State Police Command had yet to officially react to the incident, with calls and messages to its spokesperson going unanswered.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Otukpo-Akpa State Constituency, Kennedy Angbo, expressed concern over the persistent attacks in the area.
He said that on Sunday, gunmen attacked passengers travelling in a commercial bus around the Burnt Bricks area of Otukpo, leaving three persons hospitalised.
“You can imagine that five of my people have been killed again in Otobi community of Akpa district, barely a year after 13 persons were killed on April 15, 2025,” he said.
“On Sunday at about 7:00pm around Burnt Bricks, Otukpo, these gunmen opened fire on travellers, injuring three persons. I am calling on the security agencies to do more in terms of intelligence gathering and counter-operations to flush out these terrorists from our surroundings.”
