Ortom laments murder of aide, AIG Dega

A retired Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Christopher Dega, was assassinated on Tuesday by gunmen in Jos, the Plateau State capital.

Dega was, until his death, a security aide to Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom.

The Guardian gathered that the assailants might have trailed the victim on his way from Makurdi to Jos and got him on arrival at an isolated restaurant, shooting him several times on his chest.

He had a brilliant career in the Nigerian Police Force and was twice Commissioner of Police in Borno and Edo states.

The late Dega hailed from Katsina Ala Local Government Area in Benue State.

Reacting to the development, Ortom described it as a huge blow to his administration and the entire state.

The governor, while speaking to newsmen at Government House, Makurdi, lamented that the late AIG was very active even in retirement, saying it was painful he was gunned down in such a gruesome manner.

“Retired AIG Dega served with me here and this is someone who has retired, but was not tired and was very active. So, for him to have been murdered in the manner they did, a retired AIG gunned down; this is very sad,” Ortom said.

He stressed that insecurity had bedevilled all the geopolitical zones, and called on security agencies to fish out his killers.

The governor sympathised with the family, friends and former colleagues of the deceased and prayed to God to grant him eternal rest.