The Benue State Police Command has confirmed that armed bandits killed a police officer and four civilians during an attack on the Abande community in the Kwande Local Government Area.
According to a statement from the command’s spokesperson, DSP Edet Udeme, the incident occurred on Saturday, February 3. The Divisional Police Officer in Jato-Aka received information about the attack on both police personnel and community members at Abande.
During the confrontation, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) attached to the 13 Police Mobile Force (PMF) in Makurdi, who was on special duty in the community, sustained fatal injuries. Four residents of Abande also lost their lives in the attack.
In the aftermath, combined teams of police operatives and other security agencies were mobilised to the area. Their objectives are to secure the community, conduct a thorough search operation, and prevent any further breakdown of law and order. The bodies of the deceased have been recovered and deposited at a mortuary.
The Commissioner of Police for Benue State, Mr Ifeanyi Emenari, has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations to immediately proceed to Jato-Aka. The DCP is to lead additional mobile force personnel and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to coordinate intensive operations, track the perpetrators, and effect their arrest.
The police command has expressed condolences to the families of the victims and the Abande community. It assured the public that all necessary measures are being taken to bring the attackers to justice and restore peace to the area. This incident underscores the persistent security challenges in parts of Benue State, where communities and security personnel have previously faced attacks from criminal elements.
