Tragedy struck in Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State on Friday evening as the Commander of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Services (NHFSS), Mr. Aondoakaa Yayough, was gruesomely murdered by suspected assassins.
The incident occurred around 8:00 p.m. at the bustling Wannune Market, where eyewitnesses said the attackers, riding on a motorcycle, trailed Yayough before shooting him at close range and fleeing the scene. He died on the spot.
Yayough, a former Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Tarka LGA and a well-known community figure, hailed from the same local government as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
Sources close to the family disclosed that the killing may have been a follow-up to an earlier attempt on Yayough’s life.
His wife was reportedly murdered in a similar fashion last year by the same group of suspected assailants who were said to have missed their original target—Yayough himself.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, DSP Sewuese Anene (formerly Udeme Edet), said a manhunt had been launched for the prime suspect, one Saater Aii, an ex-convict who was briefly overpowered and disarmed by local security operatives before escaping.
“On the evening of June 20, 2025, at about 20:00 hours, we received a distress report that one Aondoakaa Yayough was shot dead along Akume Road in Wannune, Tarka LGA,” Anene said.
“A team of detectives was immediately deployed to the area. Community members identified the assailant as Saater Aii, an ex-convict. Though he was disarmed by local security, he managed to escape.”
According to Anene, an AK-47 rifle used in the attack was recovered from the scene, and two other victims who sustained injuries during the attack are receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.
She added that the police have intensified efforts to track down the fleeing suspect and urged the public to provide any useful information that could aid the investigation.
The gruesome killing has sparked outrage and fear among residents of the area, with many calling on security agencies to act swiftly and decisively to bring the perpetrators to justice.
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