Eleven people, including four police officers and seven civilians, have been killed in a suspected bandit attack on Ayilamo community in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The attack, which began at about 6:12 p.m. on Thursday, September 10, lasted for several hours before security operatives eventually repelled the assailants and forced them to retreat into the surrounding forest.
The Benue State Police Command confirmed the casualties in a statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, Orchia Aondongu, who said officers of the Police Mobile Force, tactical teams and conventional police units engaged the attackers in a sustained gun battle.
“The operatives stood firm in defence of the community and successfully repelled the attack, forcing the criminal elements to retreat into the surrounding forest with heavy casualties in the early hours of 11th September 2026,” Aondongu said.
According to the command, four police officers lost their lives during the operation. They were identified as Paul Ina, Mohammed Yusuf, Oge Ikechukwu and Edeh Andrew.
Their bodies were subsequently recovered from surrounding bushes during search and rescue operations, the police said.
Seven civilians were also killed in the attack, with their bodies recovered and deposited at a mortuary, according to the command.
A resident, Tyolumun Ugande, said about 200 suspected armed herders invaded the community, shooting at residents and setting houses ablaze.
Ugande said Mobile Police officers stationed in Ayilamo confronted the attackers as the violence escalated.
“A detachment of Mobile Policemen deployed to Ayilamo confronted the bandits who were armed with sophisticated weapons,” he said.
“After several hours of exchange of gunfire, the bandits retreated but on Friday morning four bodies of Mobile Policemen and residents of the community were recovered in the bush.”
The Secretary of the Ayilamo Security Committee, Umishi Terungwa, also confirmed the attack, saying it stretched from Thursday night into the early hours of Friday.
Terungwa said the victims included community elders, residents and security personnel, identifying some of the civilian victims as Nyikyaa Agia, Mkohol Ahowe, Agah Saanmoyol, popularly known as Dodo, Mlahaga Kpurkpur, Geoffrey Gaku, also known as Bala, and two children.
While Ugande initially put the death toll at 12, including four police officers and eight civilians, the police subsequently confirmed 11 deaths comprising four officers and seven civilians.
The latest attack comes about a year after the Ayilamo Police Station was upgraded to a divisional headquarters amid growing security concerns in the area.
On August 20, 2025, the then Benue Police Public Relations Officer, Udeme Edet, announced that the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, had approved the creation of two new area commands and the upgrading of five police stations to divisional status.
Ayilamo was among the stations upgraded, alongside Yelewata, Jato-Aka, Okpokolo and Agan.
The police had explained that the restructuring followed an assessment which identified “geographical gaps” between police formations and vulnerable communities in troubled parts of the state.
Under the arrangement, the newly created Daudu Area Command was to supervise Guma, Daudu, Yelwata and Agan divisions, while Naka Area Command was assigned responsibility for Naka, Apa, Agatu and Okpokolo divisions.
Edet said the restructuring was designed to improve police response in difficult terrains and enhance efforts to address farmer-herder conflicts and distress calls.
“This adjustment will assist the command in policing troubled areas with large and difficult terrains. These Divisions will also ensure quick resolution of conflict between farmers and herders and facilitate quick response to distress calls,” she said.
Following the latest attack, the police said additional tactical teams had been mobilised and deployed to Ayilamo to reinforce existing security arrangements.
The command also said it was collaborating with other security agencies to strengthen security and sustain operations in the affected community.
The Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, commended the officers who responded to the attack and paid tribute to the four personnel killed in the line of duty.
He also expressed condolences to the families of the slain civilians and the entire Ayilamo community, while urging residents to remain calm and vigilant.
The command further appealed to residents to provide timely and credible information that could assist security agencies in ongoing efforts to identify the attackers and prevent further attacks in the area.
