The Benue State police command on Tuesday said a local government council chairman, supervisory councillor and three policemen including an orderly to a council boss were shot by unknown gunmen in the Benue South senatorial district.

The commissioner of police, Mr Paul Yakadi, told newsmen by telephone on Tuesday. He said policemen have been deployed to the Benue south senatorial zone ahead of the Saturday re-run.

This came just as the Benue State deputy governor, Engr. Benson Abounu, has debunked reports from some quarters that he was involved and had planned with some political stakeholders in the area to kill the PDP senatorial candidate, Senator David Mark.

Abounu in an interview with reporters in Makurdi on Tuesday, however, described the allegation as criminal, act of desperation and a well calculated ploy by Mark’s camp to denigrate him. He stated categorically that he “has not in any way plotted to kill Mark or ordered security men to shoot at his house in the area.”

“I was campaign director of Mark in 1999 and I can say I made him senator and he knows am not a violent person but because he is aware that he will be defeated, he want to cause violence to disrupt the election so it would be declared inconclusive. I have nothing personal against Mark but since 2010 we have had our political differences,” Abounu stated.

However, the commissioner of police, Mr Yakadi told newsmen that the assailants shot  the council chairman of Otukpo local government area ,  Mr Ijachi Ude, his orderly and two policemen who were drafted to the senatorial district to maintain law and order.

The ugly incident, it was gathered had occurred on Monday night and yesterday (Tuesday) at about between 8 and 10 am.