Unknown assailants have beheaded a health worker in Ikobi community, Apa Local Government Area of Benue State, and fled with his head. The victim, Ojoma Emie, was travelling from Ikobi to Ugbokpo, the LGA headquarters, on Monday morning, June 8, 2026, when the attackers ambushed him and carried out the gruesome act.
According to locals, the deceased's head was taken away by the killers, leaving his lifeless body on the ground. The incident has caused fresh concerns among residents over unabating insecurity along the Ikobi-Ugbokpo road, which they described as a recurring flashpoint for attacks.
A woman identified as Enole expressed worries, stating that residents are increasingly concerned about the safety of commuters using the route. “We are deeply worried that this particular route has become a recurring ambush point for suspected herdsmen. Our people can no longer travel freely on roads within their own communities,” she said.
Chairman of Apa LGA, Adam Ochega, confirmed the incident, noting that the victim was attacked while travelling to Ugbokpo. “He was on his way from Ikobi to Ugbokpo when the killers ambushed and beheaded him,” Ochega said.
Vice President of the Ikobi Progressive Forum, Dr. Edoh Ofugocho, said residents became alarmed after hearing several gunshots from the area. “Our people heard gunshots about 10 to 15 times. People immediately became apprehensive because they knew he was on his way to Ugbokpo to buy medicine. Later, it was discovered that he had been attacked and killed at Ugbobi Junction,” he said.
Ofugocho described the killing as heartbreaking, noting that the deceased was a dedicated health worker, husband, and father of three children whose death has thrown the community into mourning. He lamented the recurring attacks along the route, alleging that suspected herdsmen have turned the road into a dangerous ambush point for residents and travellers. “The manner in which he was killed is heartbreaking. After taking his life, the attackers severed his head and fled with it. This level of brutality is difficult to comprehend,” he told journalists in Makurdi.
