Two Mobile Police officers were killed in an ambush in Ayilamo, Benue State, on Monday, September 14, 2026, while escorting their Divisional Police Officer (DPO) back from Makurdi. The attack brought the total number of police officers killed in Ayilamo within four days to six, following an earlier deadly raid on the community.
Ambush on DPO's Convoy
The gunmen attacked the police officers at around 6 p.m. while they were escorting the DPO of Ayilamo back from Makurdi. The Benue State Police Command spokesperson, Peter Aondongu, confirmed the attack to journalists in Makurdi on Tuesday, September 15, 2026.
"The DPO's entourage was ambushed on its way back from Makurdi to Ayilamo," Aondongu said. He added that two policemen lost their lives, and their identities had not been released at the time of filing this report.
Residents Point to Armed Herders
Residents said the attackers were suspected to be armed herders operating out of forests and deserted villages in the Tombo Council Ward of Logo Local Government Area. They urged security authorities to mount sustained operations in those areas to prevent further bloodshed.
The ambush came just four days after suspected armed herders stormed Ayilamo on Thursday, September 10, killing four police officers and seven civilians. The police said the attackers struck at about 6:12 p.m. and engaged security forces in a gun battle that stretched into the early hours of Friday, September 11, before being pushed back into surrounding forests.
Six Officers Dead in Four Days
The four officers who died in that earlier raid were identified as Paul Ina, Mohammed Yusuf, Oge Ikechukwu and Edeh Andrew. Their bodies were found in nearby bushes during search and rescue operations.
A resident, Tyolumun Ugande, told journalists that roughly 200 armed herders entered the community, firing on residents and setting houses ablaze. The Secretary of the Ayilamo Security Committee, Umishi Terungwa, confirmed that victims included community elders, residents and security personnel.
Police Present Insurance Cheques to Fallen Officers' Families
On the same day as the latest ambush, Tuesday, September 15, the Benue Police Command held a presentation of insurance cheques for the families of officers who had died in service. The Commissioner of Police, Cletus Nwadiogbu, conveyed the condolences of Inspector-General of Police Olatunji Disu to the bereaved families.
Nwadiogbu acknowledged that no payment could replace a lost life but said the benefits were meant to offer some relief. He asked recipients to use the funds carefully, with particular attention to their children's welfare.
Ayilamo Police Station was upgraded to a divisional headquarters in August 2025 as part of a broader restructuring of policing in Benue State, which the then Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, approved. The upgrade was designed to close security gaps in vulnerable communities prone to farmer-herder conflicts. Despite the restructuring, Ayilamo has suffered repeated deadly attacks, with six officers now killed there within a single four-day period.
