A former Secretary to the Benue State Government (SSG), Prof. David Salifu, has been ambushed and killed by gunmen ambushed along the Wukari-Joota Road in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, a border community between Benue and Taraba States.
He was a Professor of Public Administration and former Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences at the Federal University Wukari.
According to available information, Salifu was reportedly travelling to Makurdi for the burial of his uncle when he encountered the attackers.
He sustained gunshot injuries during the attack and was initially rushed to a hospital in Wukari, where doctors removed bullets from his stomach.
He was later transferred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Makurdi, the Benue State capital, but succumbed to his injuries at about midnight on Thursday.
A former aide to the deceased, Ben Ekah, confirmed the incident.
Ekah said Salifu and his driver were returning to Benue State from the Federal University Wukari when they were ambushed.
According to him, the driver’s account revealed that the gunmen stopped their vehicle, dragged the former SSG out, and attempted to whisk him away.
He said: “The driver said they were coming from the Federal University Wukari, where Prof. Salifu lectures, when they were waylaid along the Wukari-Joota Road, a border route between Taraba and Benue States.
“The attackers were trying to take him away, and he kept asking them what they wanted.
“As they continued dragging him, one of them suddenly pulled out a gun and shot him at close range in the stomach.
“They abandoned him after the shooting, leaving him in a pool of blood.
“His driver, however, managed to take him back to Wukari, where surgeons successfully removed the bullets from his stomach.
“On Thursday, he was referred to the Federal Medical Centre in Makurdi for further treatment, but sadly he passed away around midnight.”
