Bandits kill two police officers in Benue ambush

Two newly deployed Mobile Police officers attached to Ayilamo community in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State have been killed in an ambush by armed attackers.

The incident occurred at about 6 p.m. on Monday, 14 September, while the officers were escorting the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ayilamo, who was returning to the community from Makurdi.

This makes it six police officers killed in Ayilamo within four days, following the death of four Mobile Police officers during an attack on the community on Thursday, 10 September.

The spokesperson for the Benue State Police Command, Peter Aondongu, confirmed the latest incident to journalists in Makurdi on Tuesday.

“The DPO’s entourage was ambushed on its way back from Makurdi to Ayilamo,” Mr Aondongu said.

He confirmed that two policemen were killed in the attack.

The identities of the two officers were not immediately disclosed at the time of filing this report.

Residents told PREMIUM TIMES that the attackers were suspected to be armed herders operating from forests and deserted villages within the Tombo Council Ward of Logo Local Government Area.

The residents expressed concern over the movement of armed men through forests and abandoned settlements in the area and called for sustained security operations to prevent further attacks.

Four police officers killed days earlier

The latest attack occurred four days after suspected armed herders attacked Ayilamo, killing four police officers and seven civilians.

The police said the attackers invaded the community at about 6:12 p.m. and engaged the police in a gun battle that lasted several hours.

According to the command, Police Mobile Force personnel, tactical teams and conventional police officers responded to the attack. Eventually, it repelled the attackers into the surrounding forest in the early hours of Friday, 11 September.

The four officers killed in that attack were identified as Paul Ina, Mohammed Yusuf, Oge Ikechukwu and Edeh Andrew.

Their bodies were recovered from surrounding bushes during search and rescue operations, while the bodies of seven civilians were also recovered and deposited at a mortuary.

A resident, Tyolumun Ugande, had told journalists that about 200 suspected armed herders invaded the community, shooting residents and burning houses.

The Secretary of the Ayilamo Security Committee, Umishi Terungwa, also confirmed the attack and said the victims included community elders, residents and security personnel.

PREMIUM TIMES reported on Friday, 11 September, that the police later confirmed 11 deaths in the attack, comprising four officers and seven civilians.

Police pay families of fallen officers

The latest killing came on the same day the Benue Police Command presented insurance cheques to families of deceased police officers at its headquarters in Makurdi.

Presenting the cheques on Tuesday, 15 September, the Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, conveyed the condolences of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, to the families of officers who died in the line of duty.

Mr Nwadiogbu said no financial assistance could adequately compensate for the loss of a loved one. Still, he noted that the insurance benefits were intended to provide relief and support to affected families.

He urged the beneficiaries to use the funds judiciously, particularly to address immediate needs and support the welfare of their families and children.

The command said the initiative was part of efforts by the Inspector-General of Police to support families of officers who died while serving the country.

The presentation came as the command continued to deal with fresh losses among its personnel in Ayilamo.

Ayilamo police division

Ayilamo Police Station was upgraded to a divisional headquarters in August 2025 as part of a restructuring of policing in Benue State.

On 20 August 2025, the police announced that the then Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had approved the creation of two new area commands and the upgrade of five police stations to divisional status.

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Ayilamo was among the five stations upgraded, alongside Yelewata, Jato-Aka, Okpokolo and Agan.

The police said the restructuring followed an assessment that identified geographical gaps between police formations and vulnerable communities in troubled areas.

The then police spokesperson, Udeme Edet, said the changes were intended to improve police response in difficult terrain, resolve farmer-herder conflicts and respond more quickly to distress calls.

Despite the restructuring, Ayilamo has continued to face attacks, with six police officers now killed in separate incidents within four days.

The latest attack is expected to renew calls for increased security presence and sustained operations in forests and abandoned settlements around Ayilamo and other vulnerable communities in Logo Local Government Area.