Benue State has come under a new wave of attacks by suspected Fulani terrorists who have killed a politician and 11 policemen between weekend and Monday.
POLICE OFFICERS KILLED, THEIR 11 BODIES RECOVERED
All the 11 corpses of policemen and other security operatives, killed in a deadly attack in Benue State, have been recovered.
The incident occurred on Friday, September 19, 2025 when a team of security personnel came under heavy attack from suspected armed militia and herdsmen at Agu Centre, on the border of Katsina-Ala and Ukum Local Government Areas, leaving an initial three personnel dead and eight others missing.
The team comprised of personnel of Operation Zenda, in conjunction with the Benue State Civil Protection Guard (BSCPG) and the Special Intervention Squad (SIS).
Earlier, three personnel – two from the police and another from BSCPG – were reported killed in the encounter, with eight policemen missing.
Among those who lost their lives were ASP Dalami Usman, popularly known as Danzuru, Inspector Solomon Ogede, Navas Kukaa, a Civil Protection Guard, and Mbakiir Torpine of the Nigerian Forestry Services.
However, the Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA, Dr. Justine Shaku, on Monday, September 22, confirmed to journalists in Makurdi that the bodies of the eight missing officers had been recovered.
“This brings the number of officers killed to 11 (10 policemen and one BSCPG),” Shaku said.
He added that the Benue State Police Commissioner, CP Ifeanyi Emenari, was on ground to coordinate operations.
“The atmosphere is still tense and unfriendly, but we are on top of the situation,” he noted.
The spokesperson of the State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet, confirmed that the eight bodies have been recovered.
Also, the Commander of the BSCPG, Capt. Ayuma Ajobi (rtd), in a telephone conversation with Daily Trust on Monday evening, said he lost one operative and two motorcycles to the attack.
Eleven police officers were reported killed after bandits launched a deadly attack on a security patrol team in Katsina-Ala, Benue State on Friday, September 19, 2025.
According to a report from the Benue Special Operations Command, a combined team of elite operatives from the State Intelligence Service (SIS), Operation Zenda, and Forest Guard embarked on a patrol to a known bandit camp at Agu Centre in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area.
The situation report said the patrol team came under intense gunfire from the bandits, resulting in the burning of two police Hilux vehicles and the theft of a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) belonging to Operation Zenda.
Council Chairman Justine Shaku told AFP the security personnel were killed in an ambush by suspected armed herdsmen supported by local gangs in Katsina-Ala local government area.
The attack came during a joint operation carried out by police and the Benue State Civil Protection Guards, a state government-funded security agency. Ten of the dead were police officers and one was a civil protection guard, Shaku said.
“Sitrep x Benue Special Operations: Yesterday, Friday 19/09/2025, at about 0800 hrs, a combined team of SIS Elite Operatives, Operation Zenda, and Forest Guard embarked on a patrol to one of the bandits’ camps located at Agu Centre under Katsina Ala LGA, Benue State,” it said.
“The combined team of operatives came under intense fire from the bandits. Two police Hiluxes were burned down, one GPMG belonging to Operation Zenda was carted away. An unknown number of police officers were killed. As of now, we are yet to retrieve the bodies from the bandits’ camp.”
Despite sustaining damage from bullets, the operatives successfully protected an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) and moved it to the nearest army checkpoint.
“Our APC has been damaged by bullets from the assailants, but we managed to protect it. (We) successfully removed it to the nearest army checkpoint. As of now, 11 police officers are missing, presumed dead,” it added.
APC’S HON. EJEH UDEH KILLED
Tragedy struck in the early hours of Monday when Hon. Ejeh Udeh, a prominent chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Otukpo, Benue State, was brutally gunned down by yet-to-be-identified assailants.
According to eyewitness accounts, the gunmen stormed Udeh’s Ugboju residence at about midnight, riding on a motorcycle.
They were said to have lurked in the shadows, waiting patiently for his return.
The moment he stepped into his compound, the attackers surrounded him and opened fire at close range. The chilling incident unfolded in full view of his wife and children, leaving the family traumatized.
Neighbors reported hearing sporadic gunshots that shattered the silence of the night, causing panic in the community. By the time they rushed out, Udeh was lying in a pool of blood.
He was later confirmed dead and his body has since been deposited at the Otukpo General Hospital morgue.
The killing has thrown the community into mourning, with residents describing the late politician as a grassroots mobiliser and a strong pillar of support for the APC in the area.
