September 22, (THEWILL) — Following a deadly ambush on the Police Tactical Team by suspected bandits and local militia in Benue State, which led to the deaths of three policemen and the disappearance of seven others, the Nigeria Police Force, the 401 Brigade of the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Airforce have launched a manhunt for the killers.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin on Sunday in Abuja said that following a directive by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, six suspects have been arrested.
Hundeyin said the suspects were arrested during an ongoing response operation in the state, following a deadly attack on the police teams at Agu Centre, Katsina-Ala/Ukum Local Government Area of the state.
The attack which took place on Friday affected a combined squad of security operatives in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, who were on joint patrol in the area.
The joint patrol which comprised the personnel of Operation Anyam Nyor, Operation Zenda, the Special Intervention Squad (SIS) and civil protection guards ran into a well-planned ambush.
The attackers, who were reportedly armed with rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) and other weapons, engaged the security team in a fierce gunfight during which the commander of the civil protection guards sustained a gunshot wound, while one police officer and two members of the local vigilante died on the spot.
After the duel, the bodies of two additional police officers attached to Operation Zenda and Anyam Nyor, and two more vigilantes were recovered and taken to the NKST Zaki Biam Hospital morgue.
As of Sunday when the Police authorities declared the manhunt for the killers, five police officers and an unspecified number of vigilantes remained missing.
Two police patrol vehicles, including a gun truck from the Operation Zenda Joint Task Force, were set ablaze during the assault, while an SIS armoured personnel carrier was disabled but eventually retrieved with its crew unharmed.
Reinforcements from other police tactical teams and troops from the 401 Brigade have since joined the operation and they are still engaging the attackers. The Nigeria Air Force is expected to deploy its fighters as soon as weather conditions permit it.
According to CSP Hundeyin, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Benue, Mr Innocent Emenari is currently leading the operation to rescue the missing officers and arrest other fleeing suspects.
According to him, the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, condemned the attack, describing it as cruel, unwarranted, and an affront on the people of Benue State.
Hundeyin said the IG had ordered the deployment of additional tactical assets to the area, adding that no stone would be left unturned in the process of restoring peace and security in Benue.
The police spokesman said the arrested suspects are in police custody and assisting with useful information.
He enjoined the public to remain calm, vigilant, and supportive to security agencies as efforts were being intensified to ensure the rescue of the missing personnel.
He said the target was also to apprehend the fleeing suspects and dismantle the criminal networks behind such reprehensible attacks.
Meanwhile, an institution dedicated to youth empowerment, health outreach and community development, The Ater Simon Foundation, has called for a decisive action against insecurity in Benue.
Founder of the foundation, Dr Simon Ater, made the call in an interaction with journalists on Sunday in Abuja, following a recent attack in Achakpa, a community in Benue State.
He said that no fewer than three persons were gruesomely murdered, with several others abducted by herders in the unfortunate incident. The founder condemned the incessant killings and kidnappings across communities in the state, describing the situation as “one too many tragedies” that must no longer be tolerated.
Ater also decried the worsening insecurity along major roads leading to Makurdi, the state capital, which had left motorists and commuters stranded and vulnerable.
“The primary responsibility of any instituted government is to protect its people. Benue must be liberated from these ceaseless bloodbaths.
“We must reclaim our state from the grip of fear. Our people must be liberated. This is one tragedy too many and it must stop. Enough is enough. Our people deserve peace, dignity and safety in their ancestral land,” he said, adding that,” Gov. Hyacint Alia must rise to the occasion, marshal all necessary resources and demonstrate the political will to stop these evil acts. The time for excuses is over. Our people cannot continue to die, while the government looks the other way.”.
He criticised the idea to host a carnival in October, saying that at a time the people of Benue are mourning, hosting a carnival is insensitive.
THEWILL recalls that Benue State was the epicentre of a recent tragic attack on 14 June, 2025 when gunmen raided the town of Yelewata, killing more than 100 people and forcing over 3,941 more to flee their homes.
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