At least 16 security personnel are feared dead, and several others remain missing following a deadly ambush by suspected armed herdsmen at Agu Centre in Mbatyula/Mberev Council Ward, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State.
The security team, numbering over 90 and led by Assistant Superintendent of Police Danlami Usman, also known as “Dan Zuru,” was moving to flush out armed herdsmen when they were ambushed. The attackers, believed to be a fusion of about 1,000 armed herdsmen and local militia gangs, laid a surprise attack between Tse Agbami and Agu Centre on the Katsina-Ala/Ukum border, killing over 16 operatives, including members of Operation Anyam Nyor—a joint police and Benue State Civil Protection Guards task force.
Survivors sustained injuries while trucks conveying the security personnel were burned, and motorcycles were taken away by the assailants. Some operatives, including ASP Dan Zuru, were captured. Attempts to reach him have been unsuccessful, and his capture is described as a significant blow to security operations in the Sankera region.
Katsina-Ala Local Government Chairman, Justine Shaku, confirmed the attack on social media, revealing fierce resistance from local militias, Fulani marauders, and mercenaries allegedly from a neighbouring state. He added that casualty reports include more than 10 officers missing, with only two bodies recovered at the time. Reinforcements have been deployed to the area.
Benue State Police Commissioner, CP Innocent Ifeanyi Emenari, personally led recovery efforts on September 20. The Nigeria Police Force announced that six suspects linked to the ambush were arrested on September 21. Force PRO CSP Benjamin Hundeyin confirmed that three police officers died in the attack, while seven remain missing.
Inspector-General of Police IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun condemned the attack, describing it as “cruel, unwarranted, and an affront on the good people of Benue State.” He ordered the deployment of additional tactical units to Benue and pledged to exhaust all efforts to dismantle the criminal networks behind the assault.
The police have appealed to the public to remain calm, vigilant, and supportive of ongoing operations aimed at rescuing missing personnel and restoring security in Katsina-Ala and surrounding areas.
