Police eliminate three notorious bandits, foil attack plot in Benue

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Benue State have neutralised three notorious bandits and recovered firearms during a fierce gun battle in the Sankera axis.

The encounter occurred on May 3, 2025, at about 7:00 PM, following intelligence that bandits from Shitile and Ukum were meeting secretly in Sankera to plan coordinated attacks on security teams operating in the region.

Police sources told Zagazola Makama that the suspects were tracked to the Tse-Gondo area near a forest, where they engaged advancing Surveillance and Tactical Teams in a firefight.

In the ensuing gun duel, three of the bandits sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to a nearby hospital, where medical personnel confirmed them dead.

Two locally fabricated pistols and two live cartridges were recovered at the scene. Several other bandits fled with injuries, including a wanted criminal identified as Baba Gule.

Investigations suggest the group was acting under the directive of Konyo Amakaa, a notorious gang leader from Shitile, who reportedly ordered the attack in retaliation for the death of Sughnen Ayua — a gang member fatally wounded in an earlier shootout with police on April 29, 2025.

Efforts are ongoing to track down the fleeing suspects and dismantle the wider criminal network destabilizing Sankera and its environs.