Suspected terrorists have ambushed and killed a health worker, Ojoma Emie, in Ikobi, Apa Local Government Area of Benue State, before fleeing with his severed head.
The victim, a father of three who lived in Oloke, Ikobi, was attacked on Monday morning while returning from Ugbokpo town, where he had gone to purchase medicine.
He was reportedly killed at Ugbobi Junction along the Ikobi–Olegogba axis of the Ikobi–Ugbokpo road, a route residents say has become a frequent hotspot for deadly ambushes by armed groups.
Sources in the community said the attackers, suspected to be armed herders, laid siege on the road and attacked him as he made his way home. His remains were later discovered by residents in the area.
The assailants were said to have macheted him to death, severed his head, and fled the scene with it, leaving his body in a pool of blood.
Confirming the incident, the Vice President of the Ikobi Progressive Forum, Dr. Edoh Ofugocho, said residents were thrown into panic after hearing repeated gunshots in the area.
“People heard about 10 to 15 gunshots and immediately became alarmed because they knew he had gone to Ugbokpo to buy medicine,” he said.
“He was later discovered to have been attacked and killed at Ugbobi Junction.”
Ofugocho described the deceased as a community health worker and family man, noting that repeated attacks in the area had left residents living in fear and unable to move freely.
He added that the deceased had since been buried, while calling on security agencies to urgently intervene and stop the continued killings along the Ikobi–Ugbokpo road.
