Benue, Nigeria — Four security men have reportedly been killed by suspected armed herders at the Udei community in the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to a source who pleaded anonymity, the incident happened on Tuesday evening when a team of joint security operatives was on a patrol of the area.
The joint security team codenamed the Buffalo Squad of Operation Zenda, comprised of men of the Mobile Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Counter-Terrorism Unit of the Police and the Benue State Civil Protection Guards.
The team was said to have been attacked while on routine patrol along the Daudu-Yelewata road.
A security man who did not want to be mentioned since he doesn’t have the authority to speak said, “Members of the team were patrolling the Daudu-Yelewata area on Tuesday evening when they got to Udei and spotted a smoke billowing from the community about two kilometres from the express road.
“They immediately drove into the bush to ascertain the reason for the fire. And on getting close to the community, they ran into an ambush by armed herdsmen in large numbers on motorbikes who were busy burning down the village.
“In the ensuing gunfight, three of the security personnel were killed, one of them was, however, declared missing and when a call was put to his mobile phone later, somebody who spoke in a strange language picked up the call. So, it was obvious that they killed him.”
It was gathered that two mobile policemen and two civil defence officers lost their lives during the exchange of fire.
The source added that the security personnel later on Wednesday reinforced and moved to the ungoverned areas around the environment, where they declared a total onslaught to clear out the armed men.
The state Police Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Michael Ejelikwu when contacted on Thursday, confirmed the loss of two personnel in the attack.
He said: “Yes, I can sadly and regrettably confirm the killing of two of our personnel, ASCI Simon Adoli and ASCI Ernest Ayilla, who both paid the supreme price, defending their fatherland during a joint security team clearout operation at Udei, Guma LGA on July 8, 2025 at about 4:38 pm.
“Let me state unequivocally that the corps is not deterred by these coordinated and sustained attacks by these marauding killer herdsmen and their collaborators. The NSCDC, in synergy with other security agencies, will continue to defend the territorial integrity of the Nigerian nation.”
However, the Police Public Relations Officer for the state command, DSP Udeme Edet when contacted, requested a little time to respond to our correspondent on the attack.
But as of the time of filing this report, she had yet to respond to the attack.
Margret Oshinowo | July 11, 2025
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