Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Three persons were reportedly killed while some others, including the Benue State correspondent of Businnesday newspaper, Benjamin Agesan, were shot by gunmen in the early hours of Monday along the Katsina-Ala/Tiowanye highway.
Our correspondent gathered that Agesan who had apparently spent the weekend in the village and was returning to Makurdi on Monday morning had initially boarded a public vehicle when he met some of his friends who were also going on the same route in their private car and joined them.
One of Agesan’s friends, Jerry Iorngean, who spoke to our correspondent on telephone said he (Agesan) actually decided to join his friends in the car to save cost.
Iorngean said unknown to Agesan, some occupants of his friend’s vehicle were local task collectors who were carrying huge sums of money to Makurdi and were being trailed by the gunmen without their knowledge.
“Shortly after take-off, the gunmen trailed the vehicle to about 5km and shot sporadically at it and in the process punctured its tyres, forcing the vehicle to summersault into the bush.
“They then ransacked the entire vehicle killing three occupants while monies said to be running into millions were also carted away by the gunmen leaving the correspondent a pool of his own blood.”
When contacted, state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Catherine Anene, said she was yet to be briefed on the matter.
It is learnt that Agesan is currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital in Makurdi.