At least five people, including a police officer, were killed on Tuesday when gunmen attacked the Abande community in the Turan district of the Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, deepening concerns over the deteriorating security situation in the area.
The Benue State Police Command confirmed that an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), attached to the 13 Police Mobile Force in Makurdi, was among those killed during the attack.
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In a statement issued on Wednesday, the police spokesperson, Edet Udeme, said four other victims were residents of the Abande community.
Ms Udeme said the Divisional Police Officer in Jato-Aka received a distress call on 3 February that suspected armed bandits had launched an attack on police officers deployed to Abande and on civilians.
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“The ASP, who was on special assignment in the community, sustained fatal injuries during the incident, while four civilians also lost their lives,” she said.
She added that joint teams of police operatives and other security agencies had been deployed to the area to secure the community, conduct searches and prevent further violence. The bodies of the victims, she said, had been deposited at the mortuary.
According to her, the Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Ifeanyi Emenari, has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations to take over the situation in Jato-Aka, with additional mobile police personnel and armoured personnel carriers deployed to track the attackers and restore calm.
Governor condemns attack
Reacting, Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the attack, describing it as a “cowardly act of terror” against innocent residents.
“My heart goes out to the peaceful people of Abande. This cowardly act of terror, which claimed innocent lives, including a gallant police officer, and led to the destruction of homes, is an assault on our shared humanity and an affront to the peace and security of Benue State,” the governor said in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Tersoo Kula.
Mr Alia said he had directed security agencies to intensify operations in the affected areas and pursue the perpetrators.
“We are meticulously strengthening collaboration with federal security authorities and our local intelligence structures to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice and that such attacks are decisively prevented,” he said, assuring residents of Turan and Kwande that the government stood with them.
Residents speak
Residents who spoke to PREMIUM TIMES said the attack occurred on a market day, with gunmen opening fire on villagers and setting houses ablaze, forcing many to flee.
A resident, who asked not to be named for safety reasons, said, “People were in the market when the shooting started. They were shooting at anyone they saw. Houses were burning, and people ran into the bush.”
Another local source said the community had witnessed repeated attacks in recent months and accused authorities of failing to provide lasting security.
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Pattern of violence
PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported a series of deadly attacks in Kwande and other parts of Benue State, including incidents in which security personnel were killed during ambushes and rural communities were overrun by armed groups.
The latest attack in Abande has renewed calls from residents and community leaders for stronger and sustained security presence to stem the violence and protect vulnerable communities in the area.
