Benue Market Massacre: Terrorists Storm Abande, Kill 16 Including Mobile Police Commander

 At least 16 people, including a unit commander of the Nigeria Mobile Police Force, were killed on Tuesday after suspected armed herdsmen launched a deadly afternoon attack on Abande market in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.

The assault took place at the busy Abande market in Mbaikyor Ward, Turan, while traders and buyers were actively conducting business. Local sources said the attackers struck in a commando-style operation, opening fire indiscriminately and sending residents into panic.

Beyond the killings, the assailants reportedly looted several shops, carting away millions of naira belonging to traders, before setting parts of the market ablaze.

Confirming the incident, a community leader and former supervisory councillor in Kwande LGA, Mr Lawrence Akerigba, described the attack as a “bloody invasion.”

“People were buying and selling when the herders attacked. They looted shops, took away large sums of money, and later set the market on fire,” Akerigba said.

He disclosed that the bodies of the victims were recovered late Tuesday night, noting that Mobile Police operatives conveyed some of the corpses to Jato-Aka around 11:55pm.

Akerigba also revealed that security forces suffered casualties during the attack.

“A Mobile Police officer, said to be the unit commander on duty at the time, was also killed,” he said.

The death toll may rise, as several residents are still missing and search-and-rescue teams are combing nearby bushes for survivors and additional bodies.

Benue State, particularly the Kwande and Agatu axes, has remained a hotspot for violent attacks linked to suspected herders, worsening displacement and deepening the humanitarian crisis in the area.

Efforts to obtain an official response from the Benue State Police Command were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.

SOURCE : NaijaRush Assignment Desk