Idoma Nation Mourns Ex-Benue SSG Salifu's Murder

The Ochetoha K'Idoma Forum has expressed profound sorrow over the brutal murder of Professor David Onu Salifu, a former Secretary to the Government of Benue State, who was killed on July 2, 2026, by armed men along the Wukari-Makurdi highway while traveling to attend his uncle's burial. The forum described the circumstances of his death as heartbreaking and unacceptable, noting that Nigeria has lost one of its finest administrative scholars and community leaders to violent crime.

Professor Salifu served as Secretary to the Government of Benue State from 2011 to 2015 under former Governor Gabriel Suswam and was recognized for his sound administrative leadership and intellectual depth. He was also a former dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Federal University of Wukari.

The forum has called on security agencies to ensure accountability for the attack and to address the increasing insecurity in rural communities, emphasizing that the protection of lives and property is a primary responsibility of the government.