Gunmen have abducted the wife, Mrs Abigail Orbunde and housemaid, Patience Ogute, of Terwase Orbunde, a former Chief of Staff to the immediate past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.
Orbunde, alongside his wife and the housemaid, was said to have gone to inspect his farm located close to the Genocide Cemetery along Mobile Barracks-Welfare Quarters Road in Makurdi, the state capital on Friday, when they were attacked.
The incident, according to a source who witnessed the attack, happened at about 6 pm on Friday.
The eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised by the family to speak on the issue, said, “After the inspection of the work, five gunmen suddenly attacked the former Chief of Staff to the immediate past governor, his wife and housemaid who were on the farm along Mobile Barracks/Welfare Quarters in Makurdi.
“This happened around 6 pm on Friday and the gunmen opened fire and the bullet hit Orbunde, while they ordered him and the women to follow them to an unknown destination.”
The shooting was said to have caused villagers and passersby to scamper for safety in different directions.
Another eyewitness who watched from a far distance said the gunmen marched the victims on a footpath but later abandoned Orbunde who was said to be bleeding profusely and unable to walk fast.
“As they abandoned the man, the gunmen then whisked the women to an unknown destination while good Samaritans conveyed Orbunde to hospital,” the eyewitness said.
Orbunde’s close ally and media consultant, Tahav Argezua, confirmed the attack on his Facebook page.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Catherine Anene, confirmed the incident.
“Yes, it’s true, the DPO in charge of the area has informed me,” Anene said in a telephone chat on Saturday.