A former Secretary to the Benue State Government (SSG), Professor David Salifu, has died after sustaining gunshot wounds during an attack by suspected bandits along the Wukari-Zakibiam road linking Taraba and Benue states.
Salifu reportedly died in the early hours of Friday while receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, following the attack that occurred on Thursday.
The former SSG, who served under the administration of former Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam, was travelling from Wukari in Taraba State to Makurdi, Benue State, when suspected kidnappers intercepted his vehicle on the outskirts of Wukari.
According to eyewitnesses, the gunmen flagged down his vehicle and ordered him to alight and board a motorcycle.
He was allegedly shot after challenging the attackers.
Until his death, Salifu was a lecturer at the Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State.
Confirming the incident in a telephone interview with journalists on Friday, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Benue South senatorial candidate and a close associate of the deceased, Chief David Olofu, said Salifu succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment.
“He was a member of my campaign council and a confidant. I learnt that he left Wukari for Benue when he encountered hoodlums on the outskirts of Wukari. They stopped his vehicle, asked him to come down, and thereafter shot him,” Olofu said.
He explained that the former SSG was initially taken to a teaching hospital in Wukari before the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Wukari, provided an ambulance and a team of doctors to transfer him for specialised treatment.
“However, he was eventually taken to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, where he died in the early hours of Friday,” Olofu added.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
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