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At least four mobile police officers attached to the 12 Police Mobile Force (PMF) unit were killed following a deadly ambush by suspected armed herdsmen in Udei village, Guma Local Government Area, Benue State, on Sunday, June 30.
According to reports, the officers were attacked at Tse Abough in Udei Community after the herdsmen violently resisted security forces’ efforts to prevent simultaneous raids on the Daudu, Tse Ashongu, and Tse Asha communities.
Local residents revealed that a combined team of security personnel confronted the armed herders as they attempted to invade the Ortese Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp. One source noted, “The herders seem to be targeting IDP camps as word spreads about the return of displaced persons to their ancestral homes. This time, the Ortese Camp, which hosts thousands of IDPs, was the target. Thanks to the quick intervention of the military and other security forces, the attack was halted before it could reach the camp.”
A local youth, who identified himself as Kaase, described how the herders first attempted to invade Daudu but were repelled by security guards. The attackers then fled towards Tse Ashongu and Tse Asha, but residents there had already evacuated.
“The herders fired shots to intimidate the IDPs ahead of their arrival, but the combined Army and security personnel engaged them in a gun battle, forcing them to retreat to Udei Town — near Yelewata, the community recently attacked where over 200 people were killed,” Kaase said.
At Udei, the attackers intermittently fired shots to scare locals before engaging in another gunfight with mobile police officers stationed there. Four officers lost their lives, and the attackers seized their weapons and ammunition.
The fallen officers have been identified as Insp. Samuel Bisalla, Insp. Emmanuel Bitrus, Insp. John Sunday, and Insp. Kenneth Gabriel. Two others, ASP Jacob Elisha and Insp. Zakari Bangajiya, were injured and rushed to Benue State University Teaching Hospital in Makurdi. They are reported to be recovering from exhaustion and shock.
In response to the attack, special tactical units along with reinforcements equipped with an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) have been deployed to Udei and the Daudu Divisional Headquarters to prevent further violence and restore peace.
This latest incident comes just 16 days after a similar herdsmen attack in Yelewata Community, which left over 150 people dead and many others injured, several of whom remain hospitalized.
The Benue State Police Command has yet to issue an official statement regarding the Udei attack
