Four mobile police officers and eight residents died after heavily armed attackers stormed the farming community of Ayilamo in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
The attacked village is located along the Abinsi-Tyulen-Anyiin-Wukari Road and according to reports, has faced repeated raids in recent months.
More than 200 gunmen entered the area from the Alufu Road corridor linked to Taraba State. They moved quickly through the settlement, firing weapons and setting homes on fire.
A team of mobile police officers stationed in Ayilamo engaged the attackers. The confrontation lasted several hours. Both sides exchanged intense gunfire before the invaders pulled back.
On Friday morning, search teams recovered the bodies of four police officers in nearby bushland. Residents also found the remains of eight community members killed during the assault.
Resident Tyolumun Ugande described the scale of the raid. “They came in large numbers with heavy weapons and tried to overrun the whole place,” he said. “We found our people and the officers lying where the fighting was heaviest.”
The Divisional Police Officer in Ayilamo confirmed the deaths and the attack. “We need more support on the ground,” he stated. “Reinforcement has already been requested.”
James Udough, another resident, noted this was not an isolated event. “This is the second time in a month that officers sent to protect us have been killed,” he said.
“These attacks have gone on for more than two years. We keep asking the state and federal governments to secure our land and our lives.”
Security sources and residents link the repeated assaults to reports of valuable mineral deposits in and around Ayilamo. The community remains on edge as calls grow for stronger protection.