Two security operatives killed in fresh attack on Benue community

Two security operatives deployed to Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State have been killed by suspected armed herdsmen, raising renewed security concerns in the area.

The attack happened on Saturday in Udeku, a community in the Turan district of Kwande LGA.

A community leader, Akerigba Lawrence, who spoke with The PUNCH, said the killings forced many residents to flee the community, adding that normal activities had been disrupted as fear spread in the area.

“Everything has shut down here,” Mr Lawrence said. “There are no economic or social activities going on anymore. People are scared.”

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The deceased officers were part of security personnel deployed to the area following repeated attacks by armed herdsmen.

An anonymous source, who spoke with The PUNCH, said the victims, a soldier and an officer of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), had left their duty post on a motorcycle to refill their cooking gas at Aga Market.

“On their way back, they ran into a roadblock mounted by the armed herdsmen,” the source said.

“They were taken unawares. The attackers opened fire and killed them instantly.”

According to residents, youths in the community later mobilised, searched nearby forest areas, recovered the bodies of the slain officers, which were reportedly burnt, and conveyed them to a mortuary in Jato-Aka.

A senior military officer involved in Operation Whirl Stroke, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak publicly, confirmed the incident and said one of the victims was a soldier.

“Yes, a soldier was killed, and he was an aircraftman,” the officer said.

The Benue State Police Command said no police officer was involved in the incident. The Police Public Relations Officer, Udeme Edet, said an officer from a sister security agency was among those killed.

The NSCDC also confirmed the attack. Its spokesperson, Michael Ejelikwu, said three security operatives attached to Operation Whirl Stroke were attacked.

“Yes, unfortunately, I can confirm that at about 1500 hours on Saturday, 10th January 2026, armed herdsmen attacked three security personnel attached to Operation Whirl Stroke and killed two of them,” Mr Ejelikwu said.

He said the attack took place at Udeku, Maav-Ya, Mbakyol Council Ward of Kwande LGA, and identified one of the deceased as CCA Tijani Idris, with service number 76691, from the Kaduna State Command, who was seconded to the joint task force.

Despite the incident, Mr Ejelikwu said the corps remained committed to confronting insecurity. “NSCDC remains resolute in the fight against all forms of insecurity,” he said.

The killings come barely days after armed herdsmen invaded the same area and killed five farmers during harvest activities, deepening the humanitarian crisis in Kwande.

PREMIUM TIMES earlier reported a series of violent incidents across Benue State in recent weeks, including the attack on a Benue Links bus along the Otukpo axis, the killing of farmers in Kwande, cult-related clashes in Makurdi, Gboko and Otukpo that left at least eight people dead, and repeated attacks on commercial transport along major highways.

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The newspaper also reported that security agencies, including troops of Operation Whirl Stroke, have intensified operations in parts of Benue and neighbouring states following rising attacks on rural communities and security personnel.

Beyond Kwande, traditional rulers in Gwer West and Agatu Local Government Areas, including Daniel Abomtse and HRH James Ejeh, have recently raised concerns over what they described as an influx of armed herdsmen into Benue State, warning that communities were increasingly vulnerable.

The renewed violence has heightened concerns among residents and security analysts, particularly following reports of increased attacks on farmers and security operatives since late December.