Suspected Armed Fulani Herdsmen Ambush Security Team in Benue, Officers Injured and Missing
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A joint security patrol team came under attack by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen in Benue State on Monday, resulting in several operatives sustaining injuries and three others reported missing.
According to information from the Benue State Police Command, the ambush occurred at approximately 2:19 p.m. along the Daudu–Uikohol Expressway in Guma Local Government Area.
The patrol team—comprising personnel from the Police Mobile Force (13 PMF and 58 PMF), State Intelligence Services (SIS), Operation Zenda, Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Benue State Civil Protection Guards, and local vigilantes—was on a routine mission when they observed smoke rising from nearby huts, about two kilometres off the expressway, prompting them to investigate.
As they moved closer to investigate, the officers walked into an ambush set by suspected herdsmen, believed to be responsible for torching homes in the area.
During the exchange, Police Inspector, Ochepo Benjamin (AP/No. 266789) and an NSCDC operative sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi, where they remain under medical care.
However, Inspector Muhammed Abdullahi (AP/No. 196271) and two NSCDC officers were declared missing following the confrontation.
Security authorities have since launched a coordinated manhunt in a bid to recover the missing personnel.
