The Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Fiidi Council Ward, Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Igbu Terhemen, has been found dead after he was allegedly attacked and abandoned in a bush near his residence.
Terhemen was reportedly discovered unconscious at about 2am on Wednesday in a bush around the NNPC Depot, along the Makurdi-Otukpo Road, on the outskirts of Makurdi.
According to a friend of the deceased who spoke anonymously, Terhemen left his residence on Tuesday evening to watch a local football match in the Kanshio area of Makurdi but did not return home.
His failure to return reportedly prompted family members and friends to begin searching for him.
The friend said Terhemen was eventually found unconscious in the bush but died before he could receive medical attention.
“He left home to watch the match Tuesday evening and he was expected back home, but nobody saw him. It was while people were looking around for him that he was discovered around 2am Wednesday in a bush near his residence unconscious,” the friend said.
Alleged Injection Raises Questions
Questions have emerged over the circumstances surrounding Terhemen’s death, particularly following reports of a needle-like injury on his body.
The friend alleged that Terhemen may have been injected with an unknown substance before being abandoned. However, the nature of the substance, if any, has not been established.
He also said Terhemen’s phone was found on him, which, according to the friend, raised questions about whether robbery was the motive.
The NDC subsequently condemned the death and called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
In a statement issued by the party’s Benue State Publicity Secretary, Agile Bem, the NDC alleged that Terhemen was attacked by suspected hoodlums, tied with ropes and injected with substances suspected to be poisonous before being abandoned near his residence.
The party said Terhemen was found in an almost unconscious condition and could neither speak nor communicate with those who discovered him before he died.
The NDC State Chairman, Ohini Ojegbe, described the incident as a “broad-daylight evil” and called on security agencies to urgently investigate the death.
Ojegbe also urged the authorities to identify and arrest those responsible for the alleged killing and bring them to justice.
The party described Terhemen as a dedicated member whose contributions to the growth of the NDC in Benue State would be missed.
NDC Reports Another Alleged Attack in Edo
The development comes amid another incident reported by the NDC in Edo State, where the campaign office of the party’s candidate for Oredo Federal Constituency, Frank Uyi Omosigho, was allegedly attacked.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 10pm on Tuesday in Benin City, with campaign posters, banners and other campaign materials allegedly destroyed.
Omosigho, who represents Oredo East Constituency in the Edo State House of Assembly, said he was alerted by members of the community and visited the campaign office at about 11pm.
According to the lawmaker, youths at the premises told him that unknown persons had entered the office and destroyed campaign materials.
Omosigho appealed to youths not to allow themselves to be used to perpetrate political violence and said anyone found violating the law would face the consequences.
He said the campaign materials were meant to introduce candidates and political parties to voters, who should be allowed to make their choices independently.
Omosigho said the incident had been reported at Aideyan Police Station and that the Commissioner of Police and the Department of State Services had also been informed.
He urged NDC supporters to remain calm and continue their campaigns peacefully, saying the party would not be deterred by the incident.