Late Wednesday night, a deadly attack on the Ikobi-Ochekwu hamlet in the Apa Local Government Area of Benue State was carried out by gunmen suspected of being herdsmen. Several civilians, including a recently married soldier, were killed in the attack.
According to reports received Thursday morning, the attack continued for several hours.
According to Ochofie, a local, the attackers broke into the community during the night and fired randomly at people, setting houses on fire.
The exact number of casualties is still unknown because many people have not been found.
“Two additional bodies, identified as Sani Ngbede and Aduba Paul Ogboyi, were found in nearby Ijaha in the early hours of Thursday,” according to a source.
Official confirmation from officials is still pending for the identity of other fatalities, including the soldiers who were killed and reportedly recently married.
Recently, suspected members of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Anambra State killed a Nigerian Army soldier who was part of Operation Udoka.
The brave soldier was killed on Saturday, May 18, 2025, after reportedly leaving his station to attend a party at the Forward Operating Base in Uli.
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The man was wearing his military camouflage outfit when he attended the event, which was a strippers’ party called “Ladies’ Jamboree,” according to information obtained.
During a tactical operation, the soldier was discovered missing, according to a security source who spoke to The PUNCH.
According to the source, the soldier’s disappearance was found during a tactical operation. He was then discovered to have surreptitiously left the base in uniform to go to a strippers’ party at a neighboring hotel without authorization. There, alleged IPOB/ESN fighters ambushed him and shot him dead. Later, troops retrieved his dead body and the body of a baby from the spot.
“His weapon has been recovered and is being held by the military.”
It was stated that the Defense Headquarters is in charge of Operation Udoka.
Attempts to get in touch with Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, the Director of Defense Media Operations, were reportedly unsuccessful at the time this article was filed.
Notably, the most recent event is the most recent in a string of targeted attacks on security officers in the South-East region, where state troops have allegedly been subjected to violent operations by IPOB and ESN.
