A joint security patrol team in Benue State was ambushed by suspected armed herdsmen on Monday, resulting in serious injuries and the disappearance of three officers.

According to a situation report from the Benue State Police Command, the incident occurred at 2:19 p.m. along the Daudu–Uikohol Expressway in the Guma Local Government Area of the state.

The patrol team, which included operatives from the Police Mobile Force (13 PMF, 58 PMF), State Intelligence Services (SIS), Operation Zenda, Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Benue State Civil Protection Guards, and local vigilante groups, was on routine operation when they spotted burning houses approximately two kilometres from the expressway.

Upon advancing to assess the situation, the team was ambushed by the armed attackers, believed to be herdsmen, setting fire to huts in the village.

During the encounter, a police inspector and an NSCDC officer sustained gunshot wounds and were evacuated to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi for treatment.

Tragically, another police inspector and two NSCDC officers went missing during the attack. A coordinated search operation is ongoing to locate the missing personnel.

The latest attack followed the growing list of violent incidents in the state linked to suspected armed herdsmen, particularly in the Guma axis.