Gunmen invade Nasarawa commissioner’s Lafia home, kill student

Linus Oota, Lafia

Gunmen in the early hours of Sunday invaded the residence of the Nasarawa State Commissioner for Higher Education, Chief Clement Uhembe, and killed a 400-level student of the Federal University, Lafia, Mr Terlumum Hemba.

The incident took place at Kaduna Koro area, along the Lafia – Makurdi highway at about 1:00 am.

Narrating the incident to journalists in Lafia, an eyewitness who simply identified himself as Daddy, said the gunmen arrived at the commissioner’s residence at about 1:00 am on Sunday with arms and terrorised the occupants leading to the shooting of the deceased, a 400-level Microbiology student to death.

Daddy who claimed that he was hiding in a vehicle parked in the premises of the commissioner’s residence narrated that the gunmen attacked the university student whom they first came across and shot him at close range and chased him as he attempted to escaped; they used sticks and beat him till he bled to death at the threshold of the compound.

The eyewitness said the gunmen severely beat some occupants of the house  demanding the whereabouts of the commissioner who was said to have travelled with some members of his family to Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, for the wedding ceremony of his son.

Daddy further revealed that the other occupants who were left behind in the compound escaped into the bush as the gunmen had a field day using diggers, axe and other tools to dig their way into the  commissioner’s living room.

While speaking to journalists over the attack, Chief Uhembe said he suspected some persons opposing him, who had threatened to settle scores with him.

“The issue arose from the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ihuman Ward of Awe local government area of Nasarawa State which the party had never won since its existence hence that angered a lot of people, and since that APC victory, my life has been under threat by some individuals.”

Uhembe, before his appointment in October 2018, was a chieftain of the PDP. But Governor Al-Makura wooed him to work with his government and Uhembe promised to deliver his area to APC, a development some people allegedly resisted.

When contacted, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Agyaragu division, Mr. Biam, confirmed the attack and said the deceased’s body had been removed from the scene of the incident and deposited at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia and investigations into the incident had commenced.