By Ayo Kehinde
IGP Usman Alkali Baba
Suspected killers of retired AIG Christopher Dega, Senior Special Assistant to Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State on security, has been apprehended by the police in Jos, the Plateau State capital, where he was killed on Monday.
The Police Command of the Nigeria Police Force in Plateau State said in a statement that some suspected killers of Dega were arrested on Wednesday.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer in Plateau, Ubah Ogaba, “The Plateau State Police Command on a sad note received an ugly report of the death of AIG Christopher Dega (Rtd).
“On 31/05/2021 at about 2030hrs, AIG Christopher Dega (Rtd) was shot dead by three yet to be identified gunmen in an isolated restaurant at Bukuru, Jos. From the investigation so far, it appeared that he was trailed and shot. He arrived at Jos from Makurdi on the same date at about 1930hrs.
“Some suspects have been arrested. Meanwhile, the investigation is ongoing.”
The governor, while speaking to journalists Wednesday at Benue Peoples House, Makurdi, lamented that the retired AIG was very active even in retirement, saying it was painful that he was gunned down in such a gruesome manner.
“Retired AIG Dega served with me here and this is someone who has retired but is not tired and was very active. So for him to have been murdered in the manner they did, a retired AIG gunned down. This is very sad”, Ortom stated.
Reports say Dega was shot in the chest several times by gunmen on Tuesday.
AIG Dega was in the Nigeria Police Force and was twice Commissioner of Police in Borno and Edo states.
He hailed from Katsina Ala Local Government Area of Benue state .
In March, Ortom cried out that he escaped an assassination attempt on his life as he fled gunmen who attacked him on his farm.
Ortom has been one of the vocal governors against herdsmen excesses in the country. The governor has also been against open grazing while the anti-open grazing law has been operational in his state.
