Benue ambush: 16 security operatives feared dead, others missing

…Police apprehension 6 suspects

By Kingsley Omonobi & Peter Duru

No less than 16 information unit are feared dead, portion respective others stay missing, pursuing an ambush by suspected equipped herdsmen supported by section militia gangs during an cognition astatine Agu Centre, a agrarian colony successful Mbatyula/Mberev Council Ward of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, Benue State.

Some of the information operatives who survived sustained injuries, portion the trucks conveying them were burnt and motorcycles carted distant by the attackers.

Among those killed were members of Operation Anyam Nyor, a state-established Joint Security Task Force made up of constabulary officers and operatives of the Benue State Civil Protection Guards, BSCPG.

According to a section source, implicit 90 information personnel, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police, Danlami Usman, popularly known arsenic “Dan Zuru,” were moving into the country to flush retired equipped herdsmen erstwhile they were ambushed.

The root said: “The equipped herdsmen joined forces with known section militia gangs, numbering adjacent to 1,000. Unknown to the information team, they laid an ambush betwixt Tse Agbami and Agu Centre, connected the Katsina-Ala/Ukum border.

“They drove into the ambush and, successful the speech of gunfire, implicit 16 members of the squad were killed. Several others were captured, including ASP Dan Zuru, who had been starring the combat against equipped herdsmen and bandits successful Sankera (Ukum, Logo, Katsina-Ala).

“We person tried calling his line, but the idiosyncratic who picks speaks different language. His seizure is simply a calamity due to the fact that helium was the backbone of information operations successful Sankera.”

The Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA, Justine Shaku, confirmed the incidental successful a station connected his verified societal media handle. He explained that the cognition was fiercely resisted by section militias, Fulani marauders, and mercenaries allegedly brought successful from a neighbouring state.

He disclosed: “Casualty reports amusement much than 10 officers are missing. So far, lone 2 bodies person been recovered. Two Hilux vans were burnt, and respective motorcycles carted away. Reinforcements person been deployed.”

It was gathered that the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, CP Innocent Ifeanyi Emenari, spent Saturday successful Katsina-Ala, personally starring betterment efforts.

In a follow-up development, the Nigeria Police Force said connected Sunday that its peculiar tactical squad has arrested six suspects linked to the deadly ambush.

Force PRO, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that the attack, which occurred connected Friday, September 19, 2025, led to the decease of 3 constabulary officers, portion 7 others stay missing.

He said: “The Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, CP Innocent Ifeanyi Emenari, is presently starring the cognition to rescue the missing officers and apprehend fleeing suspects. The arrested suspects are already assisting investigators with utile information.”

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, condemned the attack, describing it arsenic “cruel, unwarranted, and an affront connected the bully radical of Benue State.”

He ordered the deployment of further tactical assets to Benue and assured that nary chromatic would beryllium near unturned successful dismantling the transgression networks down specified assaults.

The Force urged the nationalist to stay calm, vigilant, and supportive of ongoing information operations, stressing that efforts are being intensified to rescue missing unit and reconstruct bid successful Katsina-Ala and its environs.

The station Benue ambush: 16 information operatives feared dead, others missing appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.