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A horrifying incident in Makurdi has left residents reeling after a 19-year-old admission seeker, Amos, was hacked to death with a machete in the compound of Mr. Shamange, the resident pastor of Omega Fire Ministry (OFM) branch in Welfare Quarters.
According to eyewitnesses and community sources, on the evening of Saturday, 16 November 2025, the young man, who had only just returned from Benin City to complete his registration at Benue State University, suddenly left his family house wearing nothing but boxer shorts. Neighbours later saw him wandering the streets in obvious distress and moving from compound to compound.
Amos eventually entered Pastor Shamange’s residence through a broken section of the fence. When the clergyman was alerted and returned home, what should have been a simple case of calming or restraining a confused young man turned fatal.
Witnesses allege that instead of seeking help, the pastor grabbed a machete and inflicted multiple deep cuts on Amos, severing one wrist completely and delivering fatal blows to the head. The young man died at the scene.
Police from ‘B’ Division recovered the body in the early hours of Monday, 17 November, took it to the FMC mortuary, and briefly detained the pastor. However, less than 24 hours later, he was released and the case transferred to the Benue State Police Command headquarters.
What has incensed the public even more is the claim by family members and residents that at the Command headquarters, both parties were advised to “settle the matter at home” to avoid lengthy legal processes, an instruction many see as a blatant attempt to shield the suspect because of his clerical status.
Since the directive became public, Welfare Quarters and surrounding areas have been on edge. Youths have held several angry meetings, openly accusing the authorities of trivialising the gruesome murder. Some have threatened to burn down the church and school linked to the pastor if justice is not served.
Amos, the only son of a widowed mother, had spent years struggling to gain university admission. His death, just days after finally securing a place at Benue State University, has plunged his family into unimaginable grief.
As of today, no official statement has been released by the Benue State Police Command, the Omega Fire Ministry headquarters, or the pastor himself. The family of the deceased has rejected any out-of-court settlement and is demanding a full investigation and prosecution.
The incident has reignited conversations about mental health crises, the use of deadly force in non-threatening situations, and the perception that certain individuals are above the law because of their religious positions.
For now, Makurdi remains tense. Residents say they will no longer accept negotiations when a life has been so brutally taken. They want only one thing: justice, served openly and without compromise.
