In a devastating early morning assault on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, gunmen stormed the Otobi-Akpa community in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue State, killing at least five people, including Hon. Igbabe Ochi, a former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for the Otukpo-Akpa State Constituency in the 2019 elections.
The attack occurred around 1:30 a.m. after local volunteer guards and youths temporarily withdrew from their patrol duties near the railway crossing toward the Ijami axis.
According to community sources, the armed assailants suspected to be herders entered via the railway station bridge, first shooting one victim near the water board before proceeding to a transformer junction where Hon. Igbabe Ochi and four others were seated.
The gunmen opened indiscriminate fire on the group and later looted nearby shops for foodstuffs and other valuables before fleeing into a nearby forest as residents raised the alarm.
The victims have been identified as:
Hon. Igbabe Ochi (former PDP assembly candidate)
Achibi Onah
Eje Eba (also referred to as Eje Uzu in some reports)
Sunday Iruja
One additional unnamed individual (bringing the total to five according to local accounts)
Benue State Police Command confirmed the incident but reported four deaths, stating that investigations are ongoing and efforts are being made to apprehend the perpetrators.
John Anyebe, President of the Otobi Community Development Association, described the sequence of events, noting the attackers targeted the group at the junction after an initial shooting.
The lawmaker representing Otukpo-Akpa constituency, Kennedy Angbo, condemned the killings and called for intensified security operations, highlighting that this incident follows previous deadly attacks in the area, including one on April 15, 2025, that claimed 13 lives.
This latest violence adds to the ongoing security challenges in Otobi and surrounding communities, with residents expressing fears over repeated attacks and the presence of armed groups in the region.
Our thoughts are with the families of the victims during this difficult time.
Police and local authorities have deployed personnel to prevent further incidents.
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