Suspected herdsmen in Benue State have killed two members of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in a gun duel.
This was made known by the Benue State Command of the NSCDC, Adakole Peter, on Monday.
Identifying the deceased as Adams Godwin and Abah Patrick, the spokesman said the incident happened on Sunday at about 5.00 p.m.
The killing was carried out at Guma area of the state where 73 persons were killed on January 1 and 2 of 2018.
The announcement came barely some hours after one of the missing policemen ambushed on Saturday by suspected herdsmen was reported to have been found slaughtered.
The spokesman of the Benue State Police Command, Moses Yamu, made the announcement on Monday in a statement.
It would be recalled that four policemen were initially declared missing on Saturday as a result of the attack on the patrol team at Logo local government area of Benue State.
The attack is believed to have been carried out by suspected herdsmen.
The police were said to have been out on patrol in remote villages around Azege when they were attacked.
Their patrol van was burnt down.
The attack was carried out at about 7.20 p.m.
Two of the four policemen resurfaced Saturday night.
They showed up around Azege area where the attack was carried out, unhurt.
The Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Fatai Owoseni, announced their return on Sunday.
He however said the remaining two others were yet to show up.
On Thursday, three people were killed in attacks carried out by suspected herdsmen in some Benue communities too.
Read also: Benue: Missing policeman found slaughtered
The attacks were carried out in villages around Anyiin, a major town in Logo local government area.
The area is a base for police special forces and hosts one major Internally Displaced Persons camp.
The herdsmen were said to have stormed the area at about 8 p.m., shooting and burning houses.
Five people who sustained gunshot wounds were said to have been rushed to NKST Hospital in Anyiin Thursday night.
Two of the victims in the hospital died overnight.
The third victim was said to have been riding a motorcycle with another person when he was shot dead.
It would be recalled that in view of the unceasing attacks by suspected herdsmen on some communities in the North Central area of the country, the Nigerian Army has launched “Exercise Ayem Akpatuma” otherwise known as “Cat Race” to tackle the menace.
The operation is also designed to stop cases of kidnapping in Benue and other states.
The Chief of Training and Operations, Maj.-Gen. David Ahmadu, said on Wednesday in Abuja that the operation would run from February 15 to March 31 in Benue, Taraba, Kogi, Nasarawa, Kaduna and Niger states.
The deployment came after several killings involving farmers and herdsmen in the north-central region of the country which resulted in several deaths and destruction of property worth millions of naira.
Ahmadu recalled that in 2017, the Army conducted several training activities for its personnel in different geo-political zones of the country, in line with its constitutional role in aid of civil authority.
“Exercise Ayem Akpatuma” has become more expedient due to the upsurge in cases of armed banditry, kidnapping and cattle rustling in Kaduna and Niger states,’’ he said.
