Two newly deployed Mobile Police officers are killed in an ambush while escorting the DPO of Ayilamo back to the Benue community, bringing the number of officers killed there in four days to six.
Logo, Benue State — September 16, 2026
Two newly deployed Mobile Police officers attached to Ayilamo community in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State have been killed in a fresh ambush, bringing to six the number of police officers killed in the community within four days.
The attack occurred at around 6 p.m. on Monday, September 14, while the officers were escorting the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Ayilamo, who was returning to the community after travelling to Makurdi to collect supplies.
Benue Police spokesperson DSP Peter Aondongu confirmed the incident to journalists on Tuesday, explaining that "the DPO's entourage was ambushed on its way back from Makurdi to Ayilamo," resulting in the deaths of both accompanying officers. Their identities had not been disclosed as of this report.
The latest killings follow the September 10 attack on Ayilamo that claimed the lives of four Mobile Police officers, Paul Ina, Mohammed Yusuf, Oge Ikechukwu, and Edeh Andrew, and seven civilians during a seven-hour battle to defend the community, an incident this outlet has covered extensively, including the subsequent DSS arrests and insurance cheque presentations to affected families.
Residents have raised concerns over armed groups reportedly operating from forests and abandoned settlements around Tombo Council Ward, urging security agencies to intensify operations specifically around deserted communities and vulnerable forest routes believed to be used by attackers to stage ambushes.
The back-to-back attacks, six officers dead in under a week, mark an alarming escalation even by the standards of Logo LGA's already difficult year, and raise urgent questions about the safety of the reinforced security presence Governor Hyacinth Alia pledged for the Sankera axis, including Ayilamo's own Anyiin unit, just weeks before this second assault.
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