Suspected gunmen have killed two members of the Operation Zenda Joint Task Force during an attack on a security checkpoint along the Otukpo–Ohimini road in Benue State.

The attack occurred around 11:59 p.m. on October 22, when the armed assailants engaged the security team in a fierce gun battle.

The victims were identified as Inspector Akpan Ogbole of the Nigeria Police Force and Abechi Oche of the Nigeria Forest and Hunters Services. Both men sustained gunshot wounds and were rushed to the Otukpo General Hospital, where they later died while receiving treatment.

Reports indicate that the attackers fled the scene with an AK-47 rifle belonging to the police and a pump-action gun belonging to the Hunters Services.

In response, tactical teams led by the Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police (Operations) have been deployed to the Otukpo Area Command to coordinate aggressive anti-crime operations aimed at arresting the perpetrators and dismantling criminal gangs operating in the area.

The State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) has also launched a full investigation into the incident. The bodies of the victims have been deposited at the hospital mortuary.