Benue PDP chieftain escapes assassination attempt, car set ablaze hours after appointment

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Benue State, Mr. Bemgba Iortyom, narrowly escaped being killed on Friday night after suspected hoodlums attacked him and set his vehicle on fire in Makurdi, the state capital.

The incident happened only a few hours after Iortyom announced that he had been appointed Consultant on Media and Public Communications to the PDP in the state.

Iortyom, who previously served two terms as the party’s State Publicity Secretary, had earlier called on party stakeholders to support him in his new responsibility, describing it as part of the party’s strategy to reclaim power from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

“The state must be rescued from certain crash and destruction at the hands of a governor who took the steering wheel of leadership without even a learner’s permit, not to talk of a driver’s licence qualifying him for the job of steering the state’s affairs safely,” he said in the statement announcing his appointment.

“This is the task I have accepted to contribute to in my capacity as Consultant to the PDP on Media and Public Communications,” he added.

Recounting the attack, Iortyom said the incident occurred along George Akume Way in the centre of Makurdi while he was about to pull over to answer a phone call.

“I was attacked by unknown persons at about 8 pm and though I managed to escape, my car, a Peugeot 406 saloon, was set ablaze and burnt to ashes,” he said.

According to him, the attackers were about five in number.

“They came on two motorcycles and because I was in the process of clearing off the road to park and make a phone call, they blocked my path and, armed with short axes, descended on me,” he said.

“I give God Almighty the glory for quick thinking, which enabled me to act fast by opening the door of my car and running away before the hoodlums poured fuel on the car and set it ablaze.

“They then mounted their bikes and went away as my shouts and calls for help yielded nothing, with onlookers witnessing the scene without anything to do other than urging me to run to safety,” he added.

Iortyom said the matter had been reported to the “E Division” of the Benue State Police Command and that investigations were ongoing. He described the attack as a reflection of the rising political tension in the state.

“Security agencies whose allegiance is to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and not to any individual or group, must rise to their duty and guarantee the safety of citizens before people are left with no choice but to resort to self-help and a descent into lawlessness,” he stated.

Efforts to get the reaction of the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

Benue PDP chieftain escapes assassination attempt, car set ablaze hours after appointment