Suspected herdsmen have reportedly killed three kinsmen of Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom, his chief press secretary Nathaniel Ikyur said.
The attackers allegedly struck on Saturday at 5 pm when they blocked the Lordye-Gbajimba road in Guma LGA of Benue.
In a statement, Mr Ikyur said the victims were two males and a female.
“The victims were riding on a motorcycle when they were ambushed and shot dead by the killer herdsmen who have taken over parts of the local government bordering Nasarawa state,” the statement said.
“Security agencies who recovered the bodies said those shot died on the spot from gunshot wounds while the other was brutally macheted to death.”
“Soldiers attached to operation whirl stroke recovered the bodies and deposited the corpses at Gbajimba general hospital,” it added.
Ortom has been very critical of the Buhari administration’s handling of herdsmen accused of crimes in some parts of the country.
In April 2021, he asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency over insecurity in Nigeria.
