Former Benue State Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. David Salifu, has died after being shot by suspected gunmen during an ambush along the Wukari–Joota Road in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.
Salifu, a Professor of Public Administration and former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Federal University Wukari, was reportedly travelling to Makurdi for the burial of his uncle when the attackers struck.
According to reports, the assailants intercepted his vehicle on the border road linking Benue and Taraba states. He sustained severe gunshot wounds after allegedly resisting an attempt by the gunmen to abduct him.
A former aide to the deceased, Ben Ekah, confirmed the incident, explaining that Salifu and his driver were returning from the Federal University Wukari when they were attacked.
Ekah said the driver recounted that the gunmen stopped their vehicle, forced the former SSG out, and attempted to take him away.
He said Salifu repeatedly asked the attackers what they wanted before one of them allegedly shot him at close range in the stomach.
After shooting him, the attackers fled the scene, leaving him critically injured. His driver immediately rushed him to a hospital in Wukari, where doctors successfully removed the bullets lodged in his stomach.
He was later transferred to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Makurdi, for advanced medical care but died around midnight on Thursday.
Ekah described the late academic as a peaceful and humble man, noting that he had left a Senate meeting at the Federal University Wukari to attend his uncle’s burial when the tragic incident occurred.
“He was widely respected as a lecturer and former Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences. The university was holding a Senate meeting, but he excused himself to travel home for his uncle’s burial. His death is a painful loss because he was known for his peaceful nature,” Ekah said.
Prof. Salifu served as Benue State’s Secretary to the State Government under former Governor Gabriel Suswam from January 2011 to May 2015.
As of the time of filing this report, the Benue State Police Command had not issued an official statement on the incident, as its spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, could not be reached for comment.
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