Suspected herdsmen kill DPO, two policemen, five others in fresh Benue attacks

Suspected herdsmen have killed the Divisional Police Officers (DPO) in charge of Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State, Mamud Abubakar and two other officers.

The spokesperson for the state police command, Catherine Anene, who confirmed the attack in a statement on Tuesday in Makurdi, said three women and two children were also killed in fresh attacks on communities in the state.

She said the DPO and the two officers were ambushed and killed along the Makurdi-Naka Road in Gwer West Headquarters on Tuesday afternoon.

The officers, according to Anene, were killed after they were alerted on the presence of a large number of armed herdsmen on the axis.

She said: “Upon being alerted of a large number of armed herdsmen on that stretch of road, military personnel were mobilised to move into the area while the DPO who was accompanied by two other policemen moved.

READ ALSO: Four injured in Benue herdsmen attack

“But unknown to them, the armed herders had already moved close to a particular spot at Imande community near a bridge where women sell roasted yams to travellers on the road.

“They shot and killed the three of them and a farmer who was at the time returning from the farm.

“There was also a similar attack on Udei and Torkula villages in Guma LGA which claimed the lives of two children and three women.

“The attackers also stormed Udei at about 9:00 p.m. on Monday night while the three women were killed by the marauders in Torkula village at about the same time.”

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