Suspected gang leader shot dead in Benue

A suspected gang leader, Ikyoga Joka Biam, was shot dead Monday morning near the abattoir close to the NKST Centre in Zaki-Biam town of Ukum Local Government Area in Benue State. Witnesses said the incident happened just minutes before 9 a.m., throwing the busy market town into tension as residents scampered for safety. Our correspondent […]

A suspected gang leader, Ikyoga Joka Biam, was shot dead Monday morning near the abattoir close to the NKST Centre in Zaki-Biam town of Ukum Local Government Area in Benue State.

Witnesses said the incident happened just minutes before 9 a.m., throwing the busy market town into tension as residents scampered for safety.

Our correspondent reports that as at the time of filing this story, details about those behind the shooting remain unclear, but residents linked the killing to longstanding rivalries and violent clashes associated with alleged criminal activities in the area.

Some residents said the deceased was a “repentant” gangster, while others alleged he had returned to his former lifestyle, making him a target for a rival group.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Udeme Edet, who confirmed the killing to our correspondent by telephone, said it was not yet established whether Biam was killed by his own associates or by rivals.

Edet, however, added: “The police are on the trail of those behind the killing.”