BENUE STATE, NIGERIA- A young man identified as Ben Agir, said to be a serving member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), has reportedly been beaten to death by members of a local vigilante group in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State.
The incident, which has sparked concern over the activities of community security outfits, reportedly occurred late Sunday night during a patrol operation in the Anibros settlement, near the council secretariat.
According to local sources, the deceased was stopped by the vigilante group on suspicion of involvement in the theft of a motorcycle. The situation reportedly escalated before he could properly identify himself.
Confirming the development on Thursday, the Chairman of Buruku LGA, Raymond Aondoakura, said he received a report of the incident in the early hours of Monday.
“The report came to me around 4 a.m. on Monday,” Aondoakura stated. “From the information I gathered, they accosted him and suspected he was a bike snatcher. Before he could explain himself and present his identification card, one of the vigilante leaders began beating him, claiming he was not telling the truth.”
The council chairman explained that the victim was severely assaulted and later fell into a coma. Realising the gravity of his condition, the vigilantes reportedly rushed him to a nearby hospital, where he was confirmed dead.
Aondoakura disclosed that those allegedly involved in the attack have since been arrested and handed over to the police for investigation and possible prosecution.
“We have confirmed that the deceased was a serving corps member,” he added.
In response to the incident, the local government authorities have suspended all vigilante operations in the area pending the introduction of stricter regulations to guide their activities.
However, there appears to be some uncertainty surrounding the victim’s NYSC status. The Public Relations Officer of the NYSC in Benue State, Mrs. Veronica Ogwuche, said preliminary findings suggest that the deceased was not deployed to Benue State for service.
According to her, he may have been serving in Gombe State, although further verification is ongoing.
Meanwhile, efforts to obtain an official statement from the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Udeme Edet, did not respond to calls or messages as of the time of filing this report.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about the conduct and accountability of vigilante groups, particularly in rural communities where they often serve as the first line of security. Observers have called for better training, oversight, and adherence to the rule of law to prevent such tragic outcomes in the future.
