Security operatives have repelled an attack by suspected bandits who invaded Anwase village in Benue State's Kwande Local Government Area, burning down 11 houses in the process.
The State Police Command spokesperson, DSP Udeme Edet, confirmed the Friday attack, stating, “It is true, there was attack on Anwase but our gallant officers repelled them and there was no casualty.”
A local source, however, reported that some residents were injured during the noon invasion. The attack occurred just days after bandits killed six people, including a mobile police officer, in the neighbouring Abande community on Tuesday.
Lawrence Akerigbe, a former councillor in the area who visited the community on Saturday, provided details: “The attack on Anwase happened at about noon on Friday, the invaders burnt down about 11 houses. Some people were also injured during the attack."
He credited the swift response of security forces for preventing greater carnage. “Fortunately, security operatives that were deployed to Abande community that was attacked three days earlier were on patrol when they ran into the invaders. Immediately the bandits sighted the security men they fled, that was what saved the situation.”
The repeated assaults have heightened security concerns in Kwande LGA. Anwase itself was attacked on Christmas Day 2024, resulting in over 28 deaths. Akerigbe lamented that no fewer than 76 people have been killed in the local government in the past two years due to such attacks.
The Benue State Police Command's confirmation of repelling the attackers without casualties offers a glimmer of hope, but the destruction of homes underscores the persistent vulnerability of rural communities to bandit violence.
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