Armed bandits have attacked Abande community in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, killing four residents and a police officer in a violent overnight assault.
The Benue State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued by its Public Relations Officer, DSP Edet Udeme.
According to the police, the Divisional Police Officer in Jato-Aka received a distress call reporting that suspected armed herder bandits, operating in large numbers, had launched an attack on both police personnel and residents of Abande community.
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During the confrontation that followed, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) attached to the 13 Police Mobile Force (PMF) Unit in Makurdi, who was on special assignment in the community, sustained fatal injuries. Four members of the community were also killed in the attack.
Following the incident, a combined team of police operatives and other security agencies was immediately deployed to the area to secure the community, conduct search operations, and prevent further breakdown of law and order.
The bodies of the victims have since been recovered and deposited at the mortuary.
Reacting to the development, the Commissioner of Police in Benue State, Ifeanyi Emenari, ordered the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations to proceed to Jato-Aka with additional Mobile Force personnel and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to coordinate intensive operations aimed at tracking down the perpetrators.
The Benue State Police Command assured residents that all necessary measures are being taken to apprehend those responsible for the attack and restore peace to the affected community.
