Four mobile police officers were reportedly killed by marauding herdsmen at Udei, a suburb in Nyiev ward of Guma Local Council Area, yesterday. A resident, Mr Andy Nomsoor, told The Guardian that the security operatives, who were stationed at Udei, were alerted by the locals that herdsmen were advancing.

According to Nomsoor, the police acted promptly and moved to the location. He said that, though the police were able to foil the attack, they unfortunately lost four officers in the process. He disclosed that the rifles of all the slain officers were taken away by the herdsmen.

When The Guardian contacted the Police Public Relations Officer, Benue State Command, DSP Udeme Edet, she had not yet been briefed.

Efforts to reach the Guma local Council Chairman, Mr Maurice Orwough, proved abortive as he did not respond to calls or text messages to his mobile number.

The visit of President Bola Tinubu and the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Christopher Musa, notwithstanding, the armed herders have remained defiant.
A resident of Daudu, a town near Yelwata, Joseph Joo, said that they were not sleeping with their eyes closed. He said that armed herders had set up camp permanently at the outskirts of Daudu, from where their cattle graze on people’s farms.

He added that repeated reports of the situation to the authorities and the security agencies had not changed the situation as the threat of attack was ever present.

When The Guardian called the Special Adviser to the Benue State governor on security and strategy, Col Alexander Anshungu (rtd), he said that he would not speak as he had not received the details of the matter.