Two security personnel killed as gunmen ambush OPWS team in Benue

Just days after a deadly assault claimed five lives in Udeku community of Kwande Local Government Area, suspected armed militiamen have launched another attack in the same axis, killing two members of the Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) security outfit.

The latest incident occurred on Saturday when the assailants ambushed a joint security patrol, resulting in the death of an Air Force officer and an operative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

Both officers were attached to OPWS and had been deployed to restore calm in the violence-prone area of Benue State.

Local sources disclosed that the operatives were riding on a motorcycle from Adikpo town when they were suddenly confronted by armed men who opened fire at close range, killing two of them instantly.

“They went to Adikpo and were on their way back when the gunmen ambushed them and opened fire,” a resident, who pleaded anonymity, said.

Confirming the development, a community leader in Jato Aka, Mr. Lawrence Akerigba, revealed that the attack took place around 4:26 pm on Saturday, January 10, 2026, in the Turan area of Kwande LGA.

He explained that the officers were originally stationed at Anwase and had visited Aga Market to refill a gas cylinder before they were intercepted at Udeku the same community where five residents were killed a few days earlier.

Akerigba further alleged that the attackers moved in large numbers, freely barricading roads, setting houses ablaze, and destroying farmlands and economic trees without any resistance.

Expressing deep concern over the repeated attacks, he said inhabitants of Jato Aka, which comprises five council wards, are now gripped by fear due to worsening insecurity.

“Our people are exposed to danger. Jato Aka has been taken over. People are already packing out, and many do not even know where to go,” he said.

As at the time of this report, Operation Whirl Stroke had yet to issue an official statement, although a military source confirmed that the incident indeed occurred.

Also reacting, the Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, Mr. Michael Ejelikwu, confirmed that three OPWS personnel were attacked around 3:00 pm, leading to the death of two officers.

He stated that the ambush happened at Udeku, Maav-ya, Mbakyor Council Ward of Kwande LGA, and identified the slain NSCDC operative as CCA Tijani Idris (S/No. 76691) of the Kaduna State Command, who was on secondment to the OPWS Joint Task Force.

Ejelikwu described the killing as “unfortunate and a hazard of the calling,” stressing that the NSCDC remains steadfast and determined to confront insecurity in all its forms across Nigeria.