Dan Zuru: Police hero falls in ambush while covering team’s escape in Benue

Tragedy struck in Agu Centre, Katsina-Ala Local Government Area of Benue State, on September 19, when ASP Danlamin Usman, popularly known as Dan Zuru, was killed in a fierce ambush by suspected herdsmen, allied bandits, and hired militias.

According to eyewitnesses and insider accounts, ASP Zuru led a joint security operation involving a Nigeria Police tactical unit and the local “Anyam Nyór” security outfit. The mission aimed to flush out gunmen who had regrouped after earlier clashes in the Utange–Mbatyula axis.

Unaware of the hundreds of reinforcements waiting for them, the security team was met with intense automatic gunfire, including AK-47s, sub-machine guns, and rocket-propelled grenades.

Despite being vastly outnumbered, Zuru and his colleagues, including veteran officer John “Bushman” and Commander Mike Tuurga of Anyam Nyór, fought valiantly. Eyewitnesses say Zuru stayed behind to provide covering fire, allowing his team to retreat safely under heavy attack. Commander Tuurga was wounded, while Bushman manned a mounted machine gun to slow the advancing attackers.

The deadly clash left several security operatives dead and vehicles destroyed. ASP Dan Zuru’s body, along with seven other fallen officers, was recovered days later. Local leaders and security officials have hailed Zuru’s actions as an extraordinary act of courage and selflessness.

In response to the attack, the Nigeria Police Force has arrested six suspects, who are now assisting authorities with critical information as part of ongoing operations in Benue State.