Suspected armed herders have killed a soldier and a Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) officer in Udeku community in the Turan district of Kwande Local Government Area, security sources said on Saturday, January 10, 2026. The attack has heightened fear and displacement among residents in the affected area.
According to local community leaders, the two officers attached to the Operation Whirl-Stroke Joint Taskforce were ambushed by suspected herders while returning from Aga Market, where they had gone to refill cooking gas. Akerigba Lawrence, a community leader from Jato Aka, said the assailants mounted a roadblock and opened fire, killing the officers instantly.
A senior military officer with Operation Whirl-Stroke, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed that a soldier was killed in the encounter and identified him as an Aircraftman serving with the Nigerian Air Force.
In remarks confirmed by the Benue State Police Command, DSP Udeme Edet clarified that no police personnel died but acknowledged the loss of the NSCDC officer.
The NSCDC Public Relations Officer in Benue State, Mr. Michael Ejelikwu, confirmed the attack, stating: “Yes, unfortunately, I can confirm that at about 1500 hours on Saturday, 10th January 2026, Fulani militias attacked three security personnel attached to Operation Whirl-Stroke and killed two of them.”
He identified the NSCDC victim as CCA Tijani Idris (Service No. 76691) from the Kaduna State Command, seconded to the joint taskforce.
Lawrence told reporters that the ambush occurred in a community that has recently seen a series of violent incidents, including the killing of five farmers by suspected herders days earlier.
“All economic and social activities in the community have been paralysed,” he said, adding that scores of residents have fled to safer areas.
Following the attack, youths from the community mobilised and combed the nearby forest, recovering the victims’ bodies and transporting them to a mortuary in Jato Aka. The incident has further strained local security and underscored the vulnerability of rural communities in parts of Benue State facing recurrent violence.
The killing of the security operatives has raised questions about the protection of personnel deployed to maintain peace in volatile areas.
Operation Whirl-Stroke, a joint security taskforce, continues to operate across parts of the region in efforts to counter armed threats, but the recurrence of herder-related violence has highlighted ongoing challenges in stabilising affected communities.
Authorities have not yet issued a detailed statement on the ambush, and it remained unclear whether arrests have been made. Analysts say that such attacks not only threaten local security but also risk undermining confidence in policing strategies if they persist without effective response mechanisms.
Community leaders are calling on state and federal security agencies to bolster protective measures in Kwande LGA and to investigate the attack as part of broader efforts to deter similar incidents and ensure the safety of both residents and security personnel.
