Benue communities are facing a renewed security threat after an ambush in Logo Local Government Area cost two police lives, widening fear across the district. Community sources say the convoy was escorting the Divisional Police Officer for Ayilamo as he returned from Makurdi on Monday evening when suspected armed herders attacked.
The state police public relations officer, DSP Peter Aondongu, confirmed the incident and described the circumstances, saying, "The DPO came to Makurdi to carry some things and while going back to Ayilamo, he was attacked and lost two of his men in the attack." Local residents reported that some of those killed were newly posted Mobile Police personnel assigned to the DPO's protection team.
The ambush arrives days after a separate, deadly assault in the Ayilamo community last Thursday. Local accounts put the toll from that earlier incident at four police officers and seven residents killed, a string of losses that residents say has left communities anxious and distrustful of their immediate safety.
Authorities in the Benue State command have publicly acknowledged the latest killings and said they are investigating, but they have not released details on suspects, motives, or any arrests. That silence has compounded unease in Logo LGA, where repeated attacks on security personnel and civilians are eroding a sense of normalcy and increasing pressure on local security structures.
Community leaders and residents have expressed alarm at the short interval between the two deadly incidents. For now, the immediate consequence is heightened fear and disrupted movement around Ayilamo and neighbouring areas as people await clearer information from the police command and actions meant to stabilise the affected communities.
Investigations continue, and the state command's next statements will be watched closely for operational responses and whether arrests or targeted operations follow. Until then, residents remain on edge, coping with the toll of multiple attacks that have struck both officers and civilians in a matter of days.
