Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Benue State Police command on Sunday disclosed that two of the four Mobile Policemen (MoPol) who went missing during a gun battle with suspected herdsmen in Adzege village in Logo Local Government last Saturday have been rescued alive.
Daily Sun gathered the Mobile Police Force deployed to maintain security at Azege community in Tombo council ward of Gaambe-Tiev Logo LGA came under heavy attack by herdsmen in the area.
The attack witnessed the burning of a Hilux patrol vehicle attached to the squad as the suspected Fulani herdsmen, who came in three different groups, were said to have ambushed the security operatives with the intent to capture them. They were however unable to do so as the trained mobile personnel took cover and defended themselves.
The armed herdsmen, Daily Sun leanred, resorted to property destruction afterwards, burning a brand new patrol vehicle belonging to the police team.
Confirming the Saturday attack in a statement, spokesman of the Benue State Police Command, ASP Moses Yamu, said:
“In furtherance of its confidence-building strategy and strengthening its visibility, Police Mobile Force Teams conducted a robust patrol of Ayilamo in Logo LGA. However, on their way back to their camps at about 1430 hours, they came under attack of a fully armed group of suspected herdsmen.
“In the ensuing gun battle one of the police patrol caught fire.”
Yamu, who had earlier said efforts were ongoing to locate the whereabouts of four policemen who were not seen during a post-operation headcount, later disclosed to our correspondent that two of the missing policemen had been rescued alive while the other two were yet to be seen.
The PPRO said that although the chief of the area had suggested that all four of the missing policemen were alive, the Command was yet to physically confirm the condition of the other two at the time of this report, adding that the casualty figure of the herdsmen was still being ascertained.
Just last Thursday three people were killed after suspected herdsmen attacked seven people along Tsokwa Stream in Ayilamo Logo Local government area of the middle belt state.