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The Benue State Police Command has confirmed that an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) attached to the 13 Police Mobile Force in Makurdi was among five people killed during a violent attack by gunmen on the Abande community in Kwande Local Government Area.
The confirmation came from the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Edet Udeme, in a statement issued on Wednesday in Makurdi. According to the police spokesperson, the ASP, who was on special assignment in the community, sustained fatal injuries during the incident, while four civilians also lost their lives.
Udeme explained that on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Jato-Aka, Kwande LGA, received a distress report indicating that suspected armed bandits had launched an attack on police officers deployed to Abande as well as local residents. The assault resulted in the deaths and prompted an immediate security response.
Following the incident, combined teams of police operatives and other security agencies were mobilized to the area to secure the community, conduct a thorough search, and forestall any further breakdown of law and order. The bodies of the deceased persons have since been recovered and deposited at the mortuary.
The Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Mr. Ifeanyi Emenari, has directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations to immediately take charge of the situation in Jato-Aka. He has been instructed to proceed with additional mobile force personnel, Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), and other resources to coordinate intensive operations, track the perpetrators, and effect their arrest.
The police command has also commiserated with the families of the deceased and the Abande community, assuring the public that all necessary measures are being taken to bring those responsible to justice and restore peace to the affected area.
The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents plaguing parts of Kwande LGA, where communities have faced recurring assaults often linked to armed groups, herder-farmer tensions, and other security challenges. Security forces remain on ground to prevent further violence as investigations continue into the motive and identity of the attackers.
