Professor David Salifu, the former Secretary to the State Government (SSG) of Benue, has died following a violent ambush. The incident occurred on the Wukari–Joota Road, a route connecting Benue and Taraba states, as he was traveling to Makurdi to attend his uncle’s funeral.
Salifu, a Public Administration expert and former Dean of Social Sciences at the Federal University Wukari, was intercepted by armed individuals. According to his former aide, Ben Ekah, the assailants forced the professor out of his vehicle and attempted to abduct him. When he resisted and questioned their intentions, one of the gunmen shot him in the stomach at close range.
The driver managed to transport Salifu to a medical facility in Wukari, where doctors performed surgery to extract the bullets. Although he was subsequently moved to the Federal Medical Centre in Makurdi for specialized care, he succumbed to his wounds late Thursday night. Colleagues remember him as a peaceful individual who had stepped away from a university Senate meeting to travel for his family obligations.
Salifu previously held the position of SSG in Benue State from 2011 to 2015 under Governor Gabriel Suswam. As of the time of reporting, the Benue State Police Command had not provided an official statement regarding the killing.
