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Armed bandits killed at least five people, including a police officer, during a coordinated attack on Abande community in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigerian authorities confirmed on Wednesday.
The assault happened on Tuesday evening during a busy market day in the border community near Cameroon, when gunmen stormed the area, opened fire on residents and security personnel, looted traders’ stalls, and set parts of the market ablaze.
The attack underscored growing insecurity in rural border communities in Benue, where armed groups have increasingly targeted civilians and law enforcement personnel.
According to the Benue State Police Command, the violence began around 5:30 p.m. after the Divisional Police Officer in Jato Aka received a distress call reporting a large scale attack by suspected armed herder bandits.
In a statement, police spokesperson DSP Udeme Edet said officers responding to the alert came under heavy fire.
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“During the ensuing confrontation, one Assistant Superintendent of Police attached to 13 Police Mobile Force, Makurdi, who was on special duty at Abande community, was fatally injured,” Edet said. “Regrettably, four members of the community also lost their lives.”
Police confirmed that the bodies of the victims had been recovered and deposited at a mortuary.
Local residents reported a higher death toll following the attack. A former councillor from the area, Akerigbe Lawrence, told reporters that the assailants deliberately struck on market day to cause maximum disruption.
“The invaders looted stalls and set the market on fire,” Lawrence said, adding that several bodies were later transported to Jato Aka by Mobile Police personnel.
Lawrence listed six civilians whose remains were recovered, alongside a Mobile Police officer, though police maintained that five fatalities had been officially confirmed.
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In response to the violence, Benue State Commissioner of Police Ifeanyi Emenari ordered an immediate reinforcement of security forces in the area.
According to the police statement, the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations was directed to move to Jato Aka with additional Mobile Force officers and armored personnel carriers to coordinate search operations and track the attackers.
Combined teams of police and other security agencies have since been deployed to secure Abande and surrounding communities, the statement said.
The traditional ruler of the area, Ter Kwande, confirmed the attack and expressed concern over what he described as the growing vulnerability of border communities.
“Six of my people and a policeman were killed, and their bodies were recovered last night,” he said, noting that other officers stationed in the area had fled during the chaos.
He urged the federal government to establish a permanent military base in Abande, citing difficult terrain, poor communication networks, and the long travel time to the nearest army units in Jato Aka and Agbatse.
