KWANDE — At least 17 people, including an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), were killed on Tuesday, February 3, 2026, when suspected armed Fulani herder bandits attacked the Abande community in the Turan district of Kwande Local Government Area, Benue State.
The assault occurred at approximately 5:30 p.m. during the Abande market day, a time when the area was crowded with traders and residents. Survivors report that a large group of gunmen opened fire indiscriminately, looted shops of cash and goods worth an estimated ₦150 million, and subsequently set the entire market ablaze.
Casualties and Displacement
- Fatalities: While the Benue State Police Command officially confirmed five deaths—including one mobile police officer on special duty—local community leaders and search parties have recovered at least 17 bodies.
- Injuries and Missing Persons: Over 40 people were reportedly wounded in the attack, and several residents remain missing as they fled into surrounding forests for safety.
- Security Loss: The slain police officer was identified as an ASP attached to the 13 Police Mobile Force (PMF), Makurdi.
Government and Security Response
Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the “cowardly act of terror” on Wednesday, asserting that the attackers have “dared the state” and must be met with decisive force. The Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, has ordered the immediate deployment of additional Mobile Force personnel and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to Jato-Aka to track the perpetrators.
The Washington D.C. Connection
The timing of the attack coincides with a significant international presence of Nigerian political figures in Washington D.C. for the International Religious Freedom (IRF) Summit and the National Prayer Breakfast:
- Terwase Orbunde:Â Former Chief of Staff to the Benue State Governor arrived in D.C. on January 28 to meet with U.S. Congress members regarding Middle Belt security and “Christian genocide”.
- Governor Caleb Mutfwang:Â The Plateau State Governor is also in Washington D.C., reportedly engaging U.S. lawmakers on the religious violence affecting Christians in Nigeria.
Critics and activists, such as basinachi Charles Okafor, have slammed the government for what they describe as “futile attempts to spin the narrative” abroad while citizens are “butchered” at home. Local leaders in Kwande lamented the lack of federal presence on the international border with Cameroon, contrasting it with Cameroon’s active security stations just across the boundary.
