Another rural community in Benue State has been forced into mourning, as an attack unfolded in daylight and left both civilians and a serving police officer dead. For residents of Abande, the violence arrived suddenly and without warning.
A market day turned deadly
Gunmen stormed Abande community in the Turan district of Kwande Local Government Area on Tuesday, opening fire on villagers during a busy market day. Residents said people scattered in all directions as houses were set ablaze, turning what should have been an ordinary trading day into chaos.
The Benue State Police Command later confirmed that an Assistant Superintendent of Police attached to the 13 Police Mobile Force in Makurdi was among those killed.
Help came, but not in time
According to police spokesperson Edet Udeme, the Divisional Police Officer in Jato-Aka received a distress call reporting that armed attackers had targeted both civilians and police officers deployed to the area.
By the time security operatives arrived, the attackers had fled. Four civilians were confirmed dead alongside the police officer, while several others sustained injuries and were taken for treatment.
A familiar pattern of exposure
Residents who spoke to local reporters said Abande had suffered repeated attacks in recent months, with little lasting security presence. Entire families were forced to flee into nearby bushland as homes burned, renewing accusations that rural communities remain exposed between deployments.
Similar incidents across parts of Kwande and neighbouring areas have seen security personnel ambushed and villages overrun, fuelling fear that temporary responses are failing to deter attackers.
Official promises follow the gunfire
Reacting to the attack, Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia condemned the killings, describing them as a cowardly act against innocent residents and security personnel.
The Commissioner of Police, Ifeanyi Emenari, directed the deployment of additional mobile police units and armoured personnel carriers to track the attackers and restore calm, according to the police command.
Why this keeps happening
IDNN is running this story now because the Abande attack mirrors a recurring security breakdown: communities left vulnerable until violence forces reactive deployments. Each incident raises the same question — whether sustained presence exists only after lives are lost.
The death of a serving police officer underscores that frontline protection is as fragile as civilian safety.
What protection means after mourning
If security remains episodic rather than sustained, communities like Abande risk becoming names on an expanding list of avoidable tragedies. Without durable protection and accountability for attackers, today’s reinforcement may simply set the stage for tomorrow’s assault.
