Four people are dead after armed attackers laid an ambush on the Aila-Odugheho road in Agatu Local Government Area on Saturday.
Locals identified the victims as Ochefije Elijah Ojema, Igojuju Husaini, Odiya Ochowechi, and Ochoyoda Adejo.
Residents said the travellers were waylaid on the rural stretch and killed by the assailants.
Agatu LGA Chairman Melvin Ejeh confirmed the killings Sunday, saying tighter security has made large-scale village attacks difficult — forcing bandits to shift tactics.
“Because of the robust security strategies we have put on the ground in the community, it’s now difficult to attack and overrun any community in Agatu LGA, hence they resort to ambush which is a little more complex to confront,” Ejeh told journalists in Makurdi.
He said clearance operations are underway. “Security agencies including the DPO himself, local vigilantes are already in the area carrying out clearance operations” to flush bandits from nearby forests.
Benue Police spokesperson DSP Udeme Edet said she had not yet received the divisional officer’s report as of press time.
Saturday’s killings add to a wave of rural ambushes plaguing Benue, as armed groups exploit forested terrain and isolated roads to target travellers.
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