Members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Wurukum branch, Anyiin section in Makurdi, have been thrown into mourning following the killing of one of their colleagues, Igba Agenewe, by gunmen in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
Agenewe, a popular commercial driver who plied the Makurdi-Anyiin route from Wurukum Park in the state capital, was shot dead on Monday while returning to Makurdi. According to accounts from union members and eyewitnesses, he had earlier transported passengers to Anyiin in his Sharon bus. When he prepared to head back, some colleagues warned him that the road through Ayilamo was unsafe due to the prolonged suspected herders-farmers crisis in the area, which is about a 10-minute drive from Anyiin.
Despite the caution, Agenewe insisted on making the trip, telling others that he had just passed through the same route. He subsequently picked up three passengers identified as military personnel and set out towards Ayilamo en route to Makurdi. Eyewitnesses said that after the vehicle passed a town called Akwana while heading towards Ayilamo, unknown gunmen emerged from the bush and opened fire. Agenewe was shot and died on the spot.
The three soldiers travelling with him were abducted during the attack but later regained their freedom and returned to Anyiin. At the time of the reports, Agenewe’s body had been deposited at the Ayilamo mortuary.
Ayilamo lies along the busy Abinsi-Tyulen-Anyiin-Wukari road in Tombo Ward of Logo Local Government Area. The owner of the Sharon bus, Mr Aondona Adzuu Tyulen, described the killing as unfortunate and called on security agencies to identify the perpetrators and bring them to justice. The incident has heightened concerns about the safety of motorists and commuters using the route, particularly the Ayilamo axis, which has experienced repeated security challenges linked to the ongoing conflict in the area.
