Mr. Echobu Adah, a senior lecturer in the Business Administration Department of Benue State Polytechnic, Ugbokolo, was reportedly assassinated by unknown gunmen along the Otukpo – Ugbokolo highway at the Eke Olengbecho-Olayenga axis of the road, in Benue state’s Okpokwu Local Government Area.

According to Vanguard, some security men were seriously injured as a result of the incident.

According to a source who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the deceased was on his way to Ugbokolo from Otukpo when he was gunned down by the armed men around 5 p.m. on Sunday.

He stated that the lecturer observed the criminals operating on the aforementioned route while on his way and immediately returned to assemble security officers on stop-and-search duty on that axis of the road in order to evict the armed persons.

According to the source, “He mobilized some of the security personnel on stop-and-search duty on that Otukpo-Ugbokolo Highway to help dislodge the armed who were robbing innocent motorists.

“Unfortunately on approaching the area with the security personnel in his car, the armed men who probably saw that security personnel were in the coming vehicle, opened fire on them.

“The lecturer who was driving the car was hit by a bullet and the vehicle skidded off the road and somersaulted severally into the bush.

“All of the occupants sustained serious injuries but he was the only one who died at the time of the incident.

He added, “As we speak angry students of the institution including the locals have taken over the busy road to protest the death of the lecturer and the persistent activities of armed criminals on the said road. The incident has become almost a daily affair on that road.”

Catherine Anene, the Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent, DSP, stated she had not yet received details on the event when asked.