Over 53 Security Personnel, Including Police and Soldiers, Killed in Just 2 Weeks – Report

No fewer than 53 security personnel have been killed nationwide over the past two weeks.

According to reports, those killed include soldiers, police officers, members of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), immigration and customs officers, vigilantes, Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) members, and state community watch operatives.

The figure does not account for unreported cases.

Many of the victims were ambushed by gunmen while responding to attacks on communities, while others were shot at checkpoints and security outposts.

An earlier investigation by Daily Trust in December revealed that at least 229 police officers were killed between January 2023 and October 2024 by bandits, hoodlums, gunmen, Boko Haram insurgents, cultists, and armed robbers across the country.

The most recent incidents occurred in Benue and Kogi states, where seven police officers and other operatives were killed in separate attacks on Friday and Sunday. In Benue, several security personnel were also abducted.

A few days earlier, the Department of State Services (DSS) arraigned nine suspects over their alleged involvement in recent killings in Benue and Plateau states. The DSS also charged a suspected gunrunner with unlawful possession of seven M16 rifles.

Two of the accused, Haruna Adamu and Muhammad Abdullahi, both from Awe Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, face a four-count charge relating to killings in Abinsi and Yelewata, Guma LGA of Benue. They allegedly committed the offence with others still at large on June 13. Two more suspects, Terkende Ashuwa and Amos Alede, both from Guma LGA, were charged on three counts for alleged reprisal attacks that included property destruction and the loss of 12 cattle in Ukpam village.

Benue Ambush

Eleven security operatives were feared killed on Friday during a joint clearance operation in Katsina-Ala Local Government Area. As of Sunday, three bodies had been recovered while eight operatives remained missing.

Witnesses said the attack occurred at Agbami community near Peva and Chanchangi settlements in Taraba State. Around noon, personnel of Operation Zenda, the Benue State Civil Protection Guard (BSCPG), and the Special Intervention Squad (SIS) came under heavy gunfire.

The attackers reportedly set ablaze a patrol vehicle, carted away arms and ammunition, and wounded a BSCPG operative, who was evacuated to a hospital.

The chairman of Katsina-Ala LGA, Shaku Justine, confirmed that 11 security personnel were still missing, with three bodies recovered so far.

“Two bodies were recovered late Friday night, while a rescue team led by the state commissioner of police combed the bushes throughout Saturday. By Sunday morning, one more body was recovered,” Justine said.

Residents claimed as many as 16 operatives went missing during the confrontation.

Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) reportedly reinforced the team, destroyed an armed herders’ camp, and recovered an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), a motorcycle, and other items.

Justine added that one of the missing officers, an Assistant Superintendent of Police known as Danzuru, was allegedly captured alive. He said the attack was jointly carried out by gunmen from Taraba State and confirmed that three assailants were killed during the confrontation.

The commander of the BSCPG, Capt. Ayuma Ajobi (rtd), said by phone that he was awaiting a full report.
“It was a joint patrol involving Ukum and Katsina-Ala LGAs. The Ukum commander confirmed to me that he was shot in both arms, though not seriously injured. One of his personnel is unaccounted for, but I cannot confirm if he is dead or alive. By tomorrow, I should have a full report,” he said.

Ayuma added that there were no records of missing personnel from the Katsina-Ala axis.

Police Response

The Nigeria Police Force confirmed the Benue attack in a statement by spokesman Benjamin Hundeyin.
“The attack, which occurred on Friday, September 19, 2025, resulted in the death of three police officers, while seven others are still missing,” he said.

Hundeyin revealed that six suspects had been arrested and were assisting investigators. He urged the public to remain calm and support security agencies.

According to him, the Inspector General of Police strongly condemned the attack, describing it as “cruel, unwarranted, and an affront on the good people of Benue State.”

Kogi Attacks

On Sunday, gunmen killed four police officers and a passerby in two separate attacks on police checkpoints in Kogi State.

The first incident occurred in Abugi village, Lokoja LGA, where two officers and a civilian were shot dead. The second ambush happened along Ilafin Road in Isanlu, Yagba East LGA, killing two policemen.

Witnesses said the attackers, riding motorcycles, opened fire, seized officers’ rifles, and fled.

A resident, Babagbemi Oyekanmi, expressed alarm at the rising insecurity, saying the attackers appeared to target security personnel to steal weapons.

The chairman of Yagba East LGA, Joshua Dare, condemned the killings as “a calculated attempt by enemies of peace to destabilize the society and instil fear,” describing the slain officers as martyrs of peace.

Other Incidents

The report also detailed a timeline of similar attacks in September, including killings of police, soldiers, immigration, customs, and vigilante operatives in Zamfara, Rivers, Abia, Edo, Borno, Katsina, Abuja, Kwara, Enugu, Kebbi, and Niger states.

Meanwhile, gunmen kidnapped Muhammed Egye Osolafia, Senior Special Assistant on Humanitarian Services to Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State, on Saturday night at Tudun Amba in Lafia.

In Niger State, at least eight people, including two vigilantes, were killed and 22 others abducted in separate attacks on communities in Borgu and Mariga LGAs between September 15 and 19.