The Benue State Police command has said that the body of one of the officers it declared missing after an attack by Fulani herdsmen on Saturday night at the Azege-Ayilamo community in the Logo Local Government Area of the state had been found.
In a statement by the command spokesman, ASP, Moses Yamu, made available to our correspondent in Makurdi on Monday, the command lamented the death of one of the missing policemen.
Yamu stated, “He was found brutally slaughtered, with both eyes and ears as well as nose removed. We pray that God Almighty grants him eternal rest.”
The command said that it remained committed to its statutory and daunting obligation of ensuring security of lives and property in the state.
The command had stated on Saturday that suspected herdsmen had ambushed a patrol team at Azege Ayilamo in the Logo council area with four of its men missing.
Two of the missing policemen were said to have been rescued on Sunday.
In a related development, suspected Fulani herdsmen, on Monday, shot and killed two officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, who were on special operations at the Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
The incident, according to a security source, occurred at Awamye near Kasseyo village in the local government area.
The victims were said to have been ambushed by suspected Fulani herdsmen at a stream in Awanye.
The source said, “Security men within that community have been going to the stream to bath and what they used to do is while some are taking their bath others will be on alert keeping watch.
“So, the victims were bathing while two other colleagues were keeping vigil when suddenly suspected herdsmen who had laid an ambush attacked them and killed the two, while others escaped.”
When contacted, the state command PRO, Peter Adakole, confirmed the incident.
He added that the command had dispatched a team to the area to get accurate information about what led to the death of the men.
The PRO said, “I can confirm to you that we lost two men but we do not have details of what happened, the command had dispatched a team to the place, the moment the team comes back I will get back to you.”
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari assured Nigerians, yesterday, that his administration will implement solutions to the current insecurity plaguing the country.
This was just as the president ordered security agencies, including the Department of the State Services, the Nigeria Police Force, among others, to step up efforts in addressing insecurity across the country.
The president disclosed that one of the resolutions at the meeting was that all law-enforcement agencies must take intelligence-gathering and sharing much more seriously.
He said this through his twitter handle, @MBuhari.
Yesterday, the president met with security chiefs for two and half hours at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“Today (yesterday), I presided over a meeting of the Security Council. We fully understand the seriousness and urgency of Nigeria’s security issues and are determined to implement carefully considered solutions that will not only earn the confidence of Nigerians, but also, stand the test of time.”
“The police and DSS especially have been charged to step up their efforts and capacity in this regard.
“Our law enforcement agencies must, at all times, stay ahead of bandits and criminals, wherever they are across the country, by efficiently gathering, sharing and acting on credible Intelligence. I am assuring that we will give them all the support needed to succeed.
“Let me also assure that all persons arrested so far, including those arrested for illegally possessing arms, will be duly prosecuted. I urge judicial officers to be alive to their responsibilities in this regard, to enable the speedy dispensation of justice.”
The meeting started around 11:00am and ended at 1:30pm.Service chiefs at the meeting were Chief of Defence Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, Chief of Naval Staff, Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas and Chief of Air Staff, Sadique Abubakar. The Aso Rock meeting was an enlarged one with heads of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigeria Prisons Service, and Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in attendance.
Also in attendance were Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, Secretary to the government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali, Minister of Interior, Abdurrahman Dambazau, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (retd).
Others were Director-General of the Department of State Services, Lawal Daura, Director General of the Nigeria Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Abubakar and Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris.
Although no official reason was given, Daily Sun gathered that the meeting was convened to review the current security situation in the country.
Monguno declined to speak to newsmen when approached to brief them on the outcome of the meeting.
