The Senior Special Assistant on Security to Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, Denen Igbana, was in the early hours of Friday killed by unknown gunmen, the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, has reported.

According to the report, Igbana was killed at his Tionsha residence Makurdi, the state capital.

Ortom has vowed to ensure that the killers are found and prosecuted. The governor spoke when he visited the deceased’s family, adding that Igbana had requested for funds to fence his house as he was threatened with kidnapping.

He also described the late aide as one of his key appointees, adding that he played a great role in the state government’s amnesty programme that saw criminal gangs surrender their arms.

The police in the state have already started investigating the murder, with the commissioner of police, Paul Yakadi, saying they were already “nosing around to fish out possible suspects.”