The attackers also injured four other participants in the wake.

Police spokesperson, DSP Catherine Anene, who confirmed the development in a statement on Monday, said a team of police detectives on Sunday, November 28, stormed the hideout of the criminals.

“On sighting the police, the hoodlums engaged them in an intense gun duel but were overpowered,” she stated. 

“Three suspects were arrested with gun injuries and were rushed to General Hospital for treatment. Two of the suspects have been confirmed dead by a doctor while one is responding positively to treatment. Corpses of the deceased suspects have been deposited at the hospital morgue.” 

The PPRO added that one AK-47 rifle loaded with five rounds of live ammunition, one locally-made G3 rifle loaded with four rounds of live ammunition, assorted charms, a knife and one motorcycle were recovered from the suspects.

The command spokesperson assured the people of the state of its commitment to rid the state of criminals.

Meanwhile, the injured have been receiving treatment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) Makurdi and General Hospital Ugba, in Logo. 

According to witnesses, their murder-suicide was a clear case of “if I can’t have you, nobody else will.”

According to The Nation, Mr Nomyange, a married man with children, had been dating Pam for some time and had proposed marriage.

However, Pam turned down the proposal with the excuse she will rather settle for a single man.

Mr Nomyange, who was apparently hurt following the rejection, proceeded to her apartment on Saturday evening and set it ablaze after locking everyone inside.

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The lovers got burnt despite intervention by neighbours.

The married man was said to have died on the spot, while his side chic Pam later died on the way to the hospital.

Benue Police spokesperson, Kate Anene, has confirmed the tragic incident and their bodies have been taken to the Federal Medical Centre Makurdi and deposited by officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps who were at the scene.

No fewer than six young men have had their penises disappear mysteriously in the past few weeks, a development which prompted the protest.

The youth had to resort to protest because their traditional ruler did not pay attention to their plight.

The protest led to a traffic gridlock on the busy Makurdi-Lafia highway for a few hours until the police arrived to disperse the protesters.

The acting traditional ruler of the community, Chief Chado Oliver (acting Tyoor of Daudu), in a telephone interview, said when they presented the matter to him, he asked for the victim to be brought, but they never showed up.

It would be recalled that in November last year, women of Agasha community in same Guma LGA poured onto their streets as well as the Makurdi-Gboko highway to protest alleged missing genitals of both sexes, but no case was verified.

Young Ikumu revealed her action was to evade the financial burden bestowed upon her by her mother.

According to her: “I created the Facebook account and posted my obituary with intent to keep my family away from me because my mother was putting financial pressure on me.

“She is constantly demanding that I send money to her. I am bitter with my mother and uncles, over their inability to sponsor my education after the death of my father. My sojourn to Lagos is to work, save some money and return to school.

“To make my obituary look real, I used the picture of the daughter of my employer, Dr Nimechi Ugorji (without her knowledge), as the profile picture of the fake Facebook account,” she confessed.

However, trouble started when her uncle, Tony Iji, saw the Facebook post and downloaded the profile picture and re-posted, calling on members of the public who know the person on the photograph to report to the nearest Police Station.

While speaking to newsmen, her uncle said: “Our attention was drawn to a post on Facebook stating that Margaret died a few days ago and was secretly buried by her two friends Marvelous Mary and Nneka Buddy at Ajah area.

“Later, we were able to establish contact with the said friends who confirmed that Margaret is dead and that she instructed them not to allow members of her family know and authorised them to secretly bury her.”

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For make- believe, her friends sent a picture of a casket showing that Margaret had been buried.

The police also got in in touch with a man who claimed to be her boyfriend and corroborated the claim that she is dead.

Luck, however, ran out off her when police swung into an investigation where they discovered she is alive and working as a housemaid.