Acting swiftly, troops moved to the scene where they confirmed the presence of the corpse. The body was subsequently identified as Abbah, a native of the community.
Operatives of the Nigerian Army operating under Operation Safe Haven have recovered the corpse of a 30-year-old hunter, identified as Elisha Abbah, in the Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State, following a distress report by residents.
This was disclosed in a post shared by a security expert, Zagazola Makama who said the incident was brought to the attention of authorities on April 17 by a community leader in the Dan Tanko area.
He said the community leader reported the discovery of a lifeless body dumped inside a pit near Ariri village.
Acting swiftly, troops moved to the scene where they confirmed the presence of the corpse. The body was subsequently identified as Abbah, a native of the community.
Preliminary findings revealed that the deceased had embarked on a hunting expedition with a 26-year-old companion, Yakubu Etsi, in a nearby bush before the tragic incident.
Sources disclosed that both men had split up during the hunt, heading in different directions, a common practice among local hunters.
However, the situation took a deadly turn later that night.
“At about 11 p.m., the surviving hunter reported hearing gunshots from the direction where his friend had gone,” a source said.
Believing that his companion had safely returned home, Etsi reportedly went back without raising immediate alarm. It was not until the following morning, when Abbah failed to return, that panic set in.
“The alarm was raised when it became clear that the deceased was missing,” the source added.
SaharaReporters had previously reported a series of killings in several Plateau State communities in recent times.
In one of such incidents, a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, Haruna Ibrahim, was killed during fresh violence in the Anguwan Rukuba area of Jos North Local Government Area.
The attack, which further heightened tension in the state, occurred on the same day the corps member was scheduled to participate in his Passing Out Parade (POP), marking the completion of his national service.
resident, Peter Ganchok, who recounted the incident, alleged that the corps member was attacked and set ablaze during retaliatory violence in the community.
“He was reportedly attacked and burned to death in Anguwan Rukuba by some angry Christians in the area, following an earlier attack on their community by unidentified gunmen,” Ganchok said.
Describing the incident as devastating, Ganchok noted the painful irony surrounding the timing of the killing.
“What makes this loss even more painful is that yesterday… was meant to be his Passing Out Parade (POP), a day that should have marked the successful completion of his national service,” he said.
“Instead, his life was cut short in the most horrific way.”
