Gunmen Attack Ex-Gov Ortom’s Chief Of Staff, Abduct Wife, Housemaid

The Benue State Police Command has confirmed an attack on Terwase Orbunde, the former Chief of Staff to the immediate-past Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, by armed men, who took away his wife and house help.

The State’s Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Catherine Anene, who disclosed this to LEADERSHIP via a telephone conversation, said the command got a report on Friday evening from the former Chief of Staff that he was attacked on his farm in the evening and his wife and housemaid were whisked away by the armed men to unknown destination.

According to the PPRO, Orbunde was also wounded in the attack.

Our correspondent gathered from a close family source that the attack took place close to the Genocide Cemetery along Mobile Barracks-Welfare Quarters Road in Makurdi, the state capital on Friday, April 12, 2024, at about 6pm.

The source, who did not want his name in print, explained that the former Chief of Staff to Governor Ortom escaped with a gunshot wound on his right arm while the attackers whisked away his wife, Kashimana Orbunde, and her house help, Patience Ogute.

The source explained that Orbunde, his wife and house help, had gone to inspect the weeding of his farm.

Also, in a telephone conversation, an eyewitness told our correspondent that after the inspection of the farm and payment of workers, unknown gunmen numbering up to five suddenly appeared and attacked the victims as they walked back to their car.

“As the victims walked to their car, the gunmen opened fire and shot Orbunde on the right arm and ordered him, the wife and house help to follow them to an unknown destination,” he narrated.

The shooting was said to have caused villagers and passersby to scamper for safety in different directions.

As the victims followed them, the former Chief of Staff was said to be bleeding profusely and unable to walk quickly.

The eyewitnesses, who was watching from a distance, said the leader of the group ordered him to walk away while the gunmen took the women to an unknown destination while good Samaritans who arrived the scene conveyed Orbunde to the hospital.