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By Lizzy Chirkpi
A police officer and four residents have been confirmed dead following a violent attack by suspected armed herders in Abande Community, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
The Benue State Police Command said the assault occurred on Tuesday, though early reports had claimed that as many as 16 people were killed.
Confirming the incident, the police spokesperson, Udeme Edet, disclosed that an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) attached to the 13 Police Mobile Force (PMF) in Makurdi was among the victims.
“An Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) attached to 13 Police Mobile Force (PMF), Makurdi, who was on special duty at Abande Community, was fatally injured during the attack,” Edet said.
He explained that the Divisional Police Officer in Jato-Aka received a distress call indicating that “suspected armed herder bandits, in large numbers, had attacked police personnel stationed at Abande Community as well as members of the community.”
“Regrettably, four members of the community also lost their lives as a result of the attack by the bandits,” the police spokesman added.
Edet noted that a joint team of police officers and other security agencies has been deployed to the area to secure the community, carry out a thorough search, and prevent further violence. The bodies of the deceased have been recovered and deposited in the mortuary.
He further disclosed that the Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Ifeanyi Emenari, has sent the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations to the affected community.
Emenari, according to the statement, commiserated with the families of the victims and residents of Abande, while assuring them that efforts are underway to track down those responsible and restore peace.
The latest attack comes amid ongoing prosecution of nine suspected terrorists linked to the deadly assault on Yelwata community in Benue State, where about 150 people were reportedly killed.
The Federal Government on 2 February 2026 filed 57 amended charges against the suspects. The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, presented the charges before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja.