Panic gripped Zaki-Biam town in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State on Monday morning after gunmen suspected to be bandits attacked a local market, killing a suspected leader of a rival gang in broad daylight.
An eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Terna, said the incident happened at about 9 a.m.
He said, “A suspected gang leader, Ikyoga Joka Biam, was on Monday morning shot dead near the abattoir close to NKST Centre in Zaki-Biam town, Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.
“The incident happened around 9am, when some young men suspected to be bandits stormed the busy town and shot Ikyoga, which made residents around the area scamper for safety.”
Another witness, who gave his name as Jando, said that the broad daylight killing of Ikyoga might be linked to longstanding rivalries and violent clashes associated with criminal activities in the area.
He described the deceased as a repentant gangster, while others alleged he had returned to his former lifestyle, making him a target for a rival group.
When contacted, the State Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, confirmed the killing on Monday.
She, however, said that the command was yet to establish whether Biam was killed by his own associates or by rivals. “The police are on the trail of those behind the killing,” Edet said.
The chairman of the local government, Jonathan Mordi, declined to comment on the incident.
Ukum is one of the three Local Government Areas in the Sankera region that has increasingly become the epicentre of killings and kidnappings, with residents often living in fear due to the persistent wave of violent crimes.
