Richard Elesho/ Lokoja
Dr. Terkura Suswam, the slain elder brother of former Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam was aware of a death threat reportedly issued against him and his two brothers, according a source in the family.
Abuja Reporters quoted an unnamed source in Anyiin, the country town of the Suswams, as saying: “The assailants had a week ago written a letter and dropped it in front of Dr Terkura Suswam’s gate in which they said they must kill any of Gabriel, Chihin and Terkura. The three are siblings, with the deceased being the eldest.”
This may have given him a strong premonition of danger. The deceased was a Polytechnic Proprietor and was said to have recently declared in a lecture that if his death would bring peace to his community, he would gladly offer himself.
It is not clear if the family reported the threat to law enforcement agencies before the gunmen struck on Tuesday.
Terkura was on inspection visit to a building he was erecting in Anyiin town when the assassin’s bullets mowed him down. He made a failed attempt to run from the four gunmen, who also killed his aide.
The state police command had deployed more men to Anyiin, following the murder.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Catherine Anene, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.
“Anyiin town has been cordoned off by additional police teams deployed to assist the division to nip this crime,” she stated.
Meanwhile, Governor Samuel Ortom has described murder of Terkura Suswam as shocking.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, the governor tasked security operatives to apprehend and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Ortom said his administration would give security operatives maximum support to ensure that the killers were arrested and made to face consequences of their action.
“Governor Ortom stresses that his administration will not surrender Benue to criminals, and gives assurance that killers and kidnappers operating in the Sankera axis of the state won’t go unpunished.