At least 16 security personnel are feared dead, while several others remain missing, following an ambush by suspected armed herdsmen supported by local militia gangs during an operation at Agu Centre, a rural settlement in Mbatyula/Mberev Council Ward of Katsina-Ala Local Government Area, Benue State.
Some of the security operatives who survived sustained injuries, while the trucks conveying them were burnt and motorcycles carted away by the attackers.
Among those killed were members of Operation Anyam Nyor, a state-established Joint Security Task Force made up of police officers and operatives of the Benue State Civil Protection Guards, BSCPG.
According to a local source, over 90 security personnel, led by Assistant Superintendent of Police, Danlami Usman, popularly known as “Dan Zuru,” were moving into the area to flush out armed herdsmen when they were ambushed.
The source said: “The armed herdsmen joined forces with known local militia gangs, numbering close to 1,000. Unknown to the security team, they laid an ambush between Tse Agbami and Agu Centre, on the Katsina-Ala/Ukum border.
“They drove into the ambush and, in the exchange of gunfire, over 16 members of the team were killed. Several others were captured, including ASP Dan Zuru, who had been leading the fight against armed herdsmen and bandits in Sankera (Ukum, Logo, Katsina-Ala).
“We have tried calling his line, but the person who picks speaks another language. His capture is a tragedy because he was the backbone of security operations in Sankera.”
The Chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA, Justine Shaku, confirmed the incident in a post on his verified social media handle. He explained that the operation was fiercely resisted by local militias, Fulani marauders, and mercenaries allegedly brought in from a neighbouring state.
He disclosed: “Casualty reports show more than 10 officers are missing. So far, only two bodies have been recovered. Two Hilux vans were burnt, and several motorcycles carted away. Reinforcements have been deployed.”
It was gathered that the Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, CP Innocent Ifeanyi Emenari, spent Saturday in Katsina-Ala, personally leading recovery efforts.
In a follow-up development, the Nigeria Police Force said on Sunday that its special tactical team has arrested six suspects linked to the deadly ambush.
Force PRO, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that the attack, which occurred on Friday, September 19, 2025, led to the death of three police officers, while seven others remain missing.
He said: “The Commissioner of Police, Benue State Command, CP Innocent Ifeanyi Emenari, is currently leading the operation to rescue the missing officers and apprehend fleeing suspects. The arrested suspects are already assisting investigators with useful information.”
The 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 assets to Benue and assured that no stone would be left unturned in dismantling the criminal networks behind such assaults.
The Force urged the public to remain calm, vigilant, and supportive of ongoing security operations, stressing that efforts are being intensified to rescue missing personnel and restore peace in Katsina-Ala and its environs.
