No less than four police officers lost their lives on Sunday afternoon following an invasion by armed herders on Udei community in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to reports, the attack was launched at about 11 am, and the invaders also tried to storm neighbouring Daudu. They were repelled by a combined team of security agencies and the youths in the area.
After invading Asha community, the herders shot sporadically, sending residents scampering for safety. The attack ended up reaching Ortese, where thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) were located.
A source who spoke on the attack revealed that the intervention of military personnel stationed in the area halted the invasion into Ortese, and no one was killed.
Confirming the incident, a community leader and former acting Chairman of Benue State Universal Basic Education Board, Matthew Mnyan, said, “The attack started at about 11 am at Asha, which is very close to Ortese. They began pursuing people from their farms, and it escalated to Ortese.
“It got to the point that the soldiers there moved in with their armoured truck, and when it became intense, they moved in another armoured truck, and they engaged them for up to one hour in the bush.
“And before you knew it, they started moving and shooting at Dudu, which is before Daudu.
“When I got the information, I immediately called the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, who took his men there to repel them.
“In what looked like a coordinated attack, they also attacked Udei at about 2 pm, and four Mobile Policemen were killed in the shootout.
“I was told that they are still around even now. They have reappeared at Ortese this evening. As we speak, people are in fear.
“When I called the Area Commander, he said he has mobilised to Udei and I learnt they went in their numbers, but it is getting dark and people are entertaining fear. Even the IDPs in Ortese are all in fear and calling that they need more security.”
