A prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Otukpo, Benue state, Ejeh Udeh has been reportedly assassinated.

According to PM News, the criminal attack occured in the early hours of Monday, September 22.

According to eyewitness accounts, the gunmen stormed Udeh’s Ugboju residence at about midnight, riding on a motorcycle. They were said to have lurked in the shadows, waiting patiently for his return. The moment he stepped into his compound, the attackers surrounded him and opened fire at close range. The vicious attack reportedly unfolded in full view of his wife and children, causing tears in the Udeh family.

Udeh’s body has been deposited at the Otukpo General Hospital morgue.

BEYOND AFRICA reported that insecurity in Benue has grown geometrically over the past years. In June, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, announced the arrest of 26 suspects in connection with the killing of scores of people in Yelwata area of the state. Egbetokun, while speaking in Abuja on Tuesday, June 24, stated that 28 suspects were initially arrested over the attack, but two were cleared, as they were merely decoys used to apprehend the 26 suspected masterminds behind the killings. Recall that President Bola Tinubu visited the state after the Yelwata killings and ordered service chiefs and the IGP to arrest those behind the attack. Killings in Benue state have spanned several years, and more than 200 residents reportedly died in the onslaughts in June 2025 alone.