Two Police on Sunday confirmed that two of its operative who went missing in an ambush in Benue State have been found unhurt.
The officers were amongst four mobile policemen who were declared missing after a police patrol team drove into an ambush by suspected herdsmen in Logo Local Government Area on Saturday afternoon.
But the remaining two officers are still missing, Benue police commissioner, Fatai Owoseni, confirmed to newsmen on Sunday.
“Two officers rejoined their colleagues. Unhurt. Hoping to see the remaining two,” the commissioner said.
The returned officers appeared at the police station in Ayilamo, near Azege town where the attack occurred, late last night. Rescue efforts coordinated by the police had been underway since Saturday evening.
The commissioner of police in charge of mobile police officers arrived the state Sunday morning to lead the search and rescue efforts, which were still ongoing as at 11:40 a.m.
Another officer who sustained gunshot wounds is undergoing treatments at the hospital in Ayilamo, residents and police sources said.
The men were returning from a confidence-building mission in remote villages when suspected herdsmen reportedly opened fire on them in Tse Akpam village, near Azege town.
“We had had an encounter around Azege when a team of mobile police went on confidence patrol,” Owoseni said while confirming the new development. “When they were coming back at a point in Azege, they started hearing gunfire from inside the bush suspected to be from the herdsmen. There was a serious exchange of gunfire.”
The attackers also burnt a police Toyota Hilux van after the officers inside fled into nearby bushes
The police said they’re expecting confirmation of casualties on the side of the attackers, but no suspects had been arrested.
