Four members of a joint security team were k!lled during an attack by suspected armed herders in Udei, a community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

The attack happened on the evening of Tuesday, July 8, as the officers were patrolling the Daudu-Yelewata road. The team, known as the Buffalo Squad of Operation Zenda, included members of the Mobile Police Force, Civil Defence Corps, Police Counter-Terrorism Unit, and Benue State Civil Protection Guards.

According to a security source, the officers noticed smoke rising from a nearby village about two kilometres off the main road and decided to investigate. As they moved closer, they were ambushed by a large group of armed men riding motorcycles and setting fire to the village.

In the gun battle that followed, three officers were k!lled on the spot. One officer went missing, and when his phone was later called, an unfamiliar voice answered, raising fears that he had also been k!lled.

It was confirmed that two of the fallen officers were with the Civil Defence Corps, while the other two were mobile police personnel.

On Wednesday, security teams returned to the area to launch a fresh operation, targeting the attackers believed to be hiding in surrounding forests.

The spokesperson for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Benue, Michael Ejelikwu, confirmed the deaths of two officers, Simon Adoli and Ernest Ayilla, during the operation.

“We deeply regret the loss of our men, who gave their lives protecting the nation,” he said. “But we remain committed. These attacks will not stop us. We will keep working with other agencies to secure the state and push back these violent groups.”