Chairman of Ardo-Kola Local Government Area of Taraba state, Salihu Dovo, has been killed by gunmen who kidnapped him early Sunday morning, local residents have said.

They said the kidnappers called an official of the local government to announce they had murdered Dovo and also mentioned where to recover his corpse.

Some community members suspect his abductors were hired assassins.

“They called an official of the Council to inform him of the killing, telling them to go and search for his corpse in the bush,” one of our sources said.

“Members of the community went into the bush and started looking for his body and it was found not long ago. The body is being taken to town now,” the source said.

The gunmen had stormed Dovo’s residence in Sabon Gari, Jalingo at about 1 a.m. He was taken away amidst suspicions of kidnap before he was murdered by his assailants.

When contacted, the police spokesperson in the state, David Misal, confirmed the incident, saying a suspect has been arrested.

”As I am talking to you now, his corpse has been deposited in the hospital.

“The command’s detectives had swung into action just as one suspect (has been) arrested,” Misal, a deputy superintendent of police, said.

PT