The Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Fiidi Council Ward in 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 around 2am on Wednesday in a bush around the NNPC Depot, along the Makurdi-Otukpo Road, on the outskirts of Makurdi.
He was said to have left his residence on Tuesday evening to watch a local football match in the Kanshio area of the state capital but failed to return home.
His disappearance subsequently raised concern among family members and friends, who began searching for him.
A friend of the deceased, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Terhemen was eventually found in the bush in an unconscious state 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.
“Unfortunately, he died before he could get medical attention,” the friend said.
The circumstances surrounding the incident have raised questions, particularly over an alleged needle-like injury found on Terhemen’s body.
The friend claimed that the deceased may have been injected with an unknown substance before being abandoned, although the nature of the substance has not been established.
He also said Terhemen’s phone was found on him, suggesting that robbery may not have been the apparent motive for the attack.
“There was also a needle-like injury on his body, indicating that he could have been injected with a substance by his attackers, dumped in the bush and left to die,” he added.
The NDC has condemned the death and demanded an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
In a statement by its Benue State Publicity Secretary, Agile Bem, the party said Terhemen was reportedly attacked by suspected hoodlums, who allegedly tied him with ropes and injected him with substances suspected to be poisonous before abandoning him near his residence.
According to the party, Terhemen was found in an almost unconscious state and could neither speak nor communicate with those who discovered him before he eventually died.
The State Chairman of the NDC, Ohini Ojegbe, described the incident as a “broad-daylight evil” and called on security agencies to urgently investigate the circumstances surrounding the death.
Ojegbe also urged the authorities to identify and apprehend those responsible for the alleged killing and ensure that they face justice.
The party described Terhemen as a dedicated member whose contributions to the growth of the NDC in Benue would be missed.
Meanwhile, the NDC has reported another incident involving alleged political violence in Edo State, where the campaign office of its candidate for Oredo Federal Constituency, Frank Uyi Omosigho, was reportedly attacked.
The attack allegedly occurred around 10pm on Tuesday in Benin City, with campaign posters, banners and other materials 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 office around 11pm.
He said youths at the premises told him that unknown persons had entered the campaign office and destroyed the materials.
The lawmaker appealed to youths not to allow themselves to be used by politicians to perpetrate violence, warning that anyone caught violating the law would face the consequences.
He said the campaign materials were intended 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 the Aideyan Police Station, adding 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 attack.