Bandits Kill Police Officer, Civilians in Attack on Benue Border Community

Attack on Abande market near Cameroon border leaves multiple dead; traditional ruler appeals for permanent military base.

Several people, including a police officer, were killed in an attack by armed bandits on the Abande community in the Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.

The assault occurred on Tuesday, a market day, near the Cameroon border. According to former councillor Akerigbe Lawrence, the attackers looted stalls and set the market on fire. He stated that the bodies of six community members and one Mobile Police officer were recovered and taken to a morgue in Jato-Aka.

The Benue State Police Command, in a statement by spokesperson DSP Udeme Edet, confirmed the attack but gave a lower casualty figure. The command reported that one Assistant Superintendent of Police was “fatally injured” and four community members lost their lives during the confrontation with “suspected armed herder bandits.”

The police stated that combined security teams have been deployed to the area to conduct searches, secure the community, and prevent further violence. Commissioner of Police Ifeanyi Emenari has directed senior officers to coordinate intensive operations to track and arrest the perpetrators.

The traditional ruler of the area, Ter Kwande, confirmed the attack and lamented the persistent insecurity. He echoed calls for the federal government to establish a permanent military presence in Abande, citing the remote location and poor terrain that delays response from existing units.

Abande and neighboring communities have suffered repeated violent attacks in recent years, including a Christmas Day assault in 2024 that left over 28 people dead in the nearby village of Anwase.