The chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Fiidi Council Ward, Makurdi Local Government Area of Benue State, Igbu Terhemen, has died after he was allegedly assaulted by unidentified persons.
Terhemen reportedly went out on Tuesday evening to watch a football game in the Kanshio area of Makurdi but did not return home, prompting relatives and friends to begin searching for him.
He was said to have been located at about 2am on Wednesday in a bush near his home around the NNPC Depot, along the Makurdi-Otukpo Road, where he was found unconscious.
A friend of the deceased, who requested anonymity, said Terhemen was taken from the location for medical attention but died before receiving treatment.
The source further alleged that a mark resembling a needle puncture was noticed on his body, leading to suspicion that an unknown substance might have been administered to him. His phone was reportedly found in his possession.
The development has sparked condemnation from the Benue State chapter of the NDC, which described Terhemen as an active member who contributed to the growth of the party.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by its Publicity Secretary, Agile Bem, the party alleged that the deceased had been restrained with ropes and injected with a substance suspected to be poisonous before being abandoned near his residence.
The NDC state chairman, Ohini Ojegbe, called on security agencies to urgently investigate the circumstances surrounding the death and establish those responsible for the alleged attack.
Ojegbe urged the authorities to apprehend and prosecute anyone found to have been involved in the incident, while the party said Terhemen’s death was a major loss to its members.
However, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Peter Aondongu, said the command had not received any official report about the alleged incident.
The police position leaves the circumstances surrounding Terhemen’s death subject to investigation, as the party and associates await clarification from security authorities.
