Herdsmen abduct four police officers in Benue

Four police men of the Benue state police command have been reported missing after suspected herdsmen attacked a police patrol team in the state on Saturday.

According to a statement released by Moses Yamu, spokesman of the command, the attackers opened fire on the team returning from a field operation in some villages in Logo local government area of the state.

The statement read: “The command would like to report that in furtherance of its confidence-building strategy and strengthening its visibility, police mobile force teams conducted a robust patrol of Ayilemo in Logo LGA today, February 10, 2018.

“However, on their way back to their camp at about 14:30hrs, they came under attack of a fully armed group suspected to be herdsmen.

“In the ensuing gun battle, one of the police patrol vans caught fire. Efforts are ongoing to locate four of the policemen who are not seen while headcount was conducted.

“Casualty on the side of the Insurgents is being ascertained.”

A police van was reportedly set ablaze by the attackers during the incident which happened at about 2pm.

The statement from Yamu added that casualty figure on the side of the suspected herdmsen — who were “fully armed” — was yet to be ascertained.

He added that the police in Benue would not be deterred or relents in its effort “to ensure adequate security in areas under threat in the state”.

This comes barely two days after three persons were killed in another attack carried out by suspected herdsmen in the local government area.

The attackers had stormed a village in the area at night, shooting at different directions and burning down houses.

Earlier in the week, suspected herdsmen engaged soldiers in a shootout in Benue.