BREAKING: Suspected Herdsmen Kill Newly-wed Soldier In Benue

Gunmen suspected to be herdsmen reportedly executed a lethal assault on the Ikobi-Ochekwu community in the Apa Local Government Area of Benue State late Wednesday night, resulting in the deaths of multiple residents, including a recently married soldier.

Reports obtained by Naijaonpoint on Thursday morning indicate that the assault persisted for several hours.

A local resident, Ochofie, informed Daily Post that the assailants invaded the village under the veil of night, indiscriminately firing at residents and igniting homes.

The precise casualty count is still unknown, as numerous individuals remain unaccounted for.

“In the early hours of Thursday, two more bodies were discovered in nearby Ijaha, identified as Sani Ngbede and Aduba Paul Ogboyi,” a source said.

However, the identities of other victims, including the slain soldiers who were said to have recently tied the knot, are yet to be officially confirmed by authorities.

Just recently, a soldier of the Nigerian Army, assigned to Operation Udoka, was killed by alleged members of the banned Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in Anambra State.

Naijaonpoint reports that the gallant soldier was murdered after leaving his post to participate in a gathering on Saturday, May 18, 2025, at the Forward Operating Base in Uli.

It was gathered that the individual attended the gathering, which was a strippers’ party named ‘Ladies’ Jamboree,’ while dressed in his military camouflage uniform.

A security source who spoke to The PUNCH revealed that the soldier was found to be missing during a tactical operation.

The source said, “It was during a tactical operation that it was discovered the soldier was missing. He was later found to have sneaked out of the base without permission to attend a strippers’ party at a nearby hotel, in uniform. It was there that he was accosted and fatally shot by suspected IPOB/ESN fighters. His lifeless body, along with that of a baby, was later recovered at the scene by troops.

“His weapon has been retrieved and is currently in military custody.”

Naijaonpoint reports that Operation Udoka is an initiative led by the Defence Headquarters.

According to the PUNCH, attempts to contact the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

It is worth noting that the latest incident marks the most recent in a series of targeted assaults on security personnel in the South-East region, where the IPOB and ESN have been alleged to conduct violent operations against state forces.