By Ayo Yusuf
Barely one month after been sworn in as the Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism for Benue State, Mathew Abo has been abducted by unknown gunmen.
In the last three months, a series of attacks by unknown gunmen riding motorcycles had resulted in at least nine deaths across four local government areas of the state.
Hon. Abo’s attack, the fourth since the recent attacks started in July, occurred at his country home in Zaki Biam, Ukum Local Government Area of the State.
The commissioner was kidnapped at about 8.00pm Sunday night shortly after having dinner with his family.
The Gunmen who arrived in four motorcycles reportedly rushed into the living room where they found the commissioner relaxing with his wife and children.
An eyewitness said, “The kidnappers came on four motorcycles, ordered everyone in the house including the commissioner’s wife and children to lie face down, and took him away to an unknown destination on one of the motorcycles.
“The abductors forced the commissioner to sit behind the rider of one of the motorcycles while a gunman sat behind and sandwiched him.”
Hon. Abo was among the 17 commissioners sworn in on August 29, 2023, by Governor Hyacinth Alia.
Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Kula Tersoo, confirmed the incident.
He said, “Yes he was kidnapped.
Unfortunately, he was kidnapped in his country home in Ukum LGA, around 8pm on, Sunday, September 24, 2023.
“He was home with his family, children and his people when the armed men came in. They forced him to a bike.
“We received the unfortunate development and His Excellency, Governor Hyacinth Alia has already directed and detailed the security operatives to ensure his safe release from the kidnappers’ den.”
Series of Kidnappings
Since July, a number of kidnappings using the same tactics has occurred in various local governments in the state.
On the 4th of July, gunmen invaded the Ugba community in the Logo Local Government Area of Benue State, shot a member of the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards dead, and abducted two persons from the community.
On July 17, on a Sunday night like the case with the abducted commissioner, unknown gunmen invaded Igba-Ukyor and Tse Baka communities in the Ushongo Local Government Area of Benue State and killed six people.
According to a local, the attackers had ridden on motorcycles, stormed the Igba Ukyor community and shot sporadically killing five people before moving on to kill one other person at a nearby community.
Confirming the attack, the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Bemgba Iortyom, who hails from the local government, said that six people were indeed killed during the attack.
He said, “Findings available to me indicate that unknown gunmen riding on Bajaj motorcycles stormed Igba-Ukyor settlement area of Daav, Ikóv Council Ward of Ushongo LGA at about 8 pm yesterday (Sunday) and shot indiscriminately with automatic firearms killing five persons on the spot.
“They were said to have proceeded to a Tse Baka which is a nearby settlement and killed one person.
Information regarding their identity and motives are yet to be ascertained,” Iortyom said.
Earlier this month on the 8th of September, unknown gunmen again killed three people including two members of the Benue State Volunteer Guards.
The people were reportedly killed in Ugba, the headquarters of Logo Local Government Area of the state.
It was reliably gathered that the two guards were killed in Ugba while the third person, a female, was shot dead at Abeda-Shitile all in Logo LGA.
Several others were reported to have sustained varying degrees of injuries as the gunmen were said to have opened fire on the villagers.
