Some distressed police personnel deployed on special duty in insecurity-ravaged Benue State have decried the non-payment of their operational allowances for four months, saying they are “dying by bullet and by hardship alike.”
The affected personnel, drawn from the 45 Police Mobile Force (PMF) and other squadrons deployed from Abuja, disclosed that they have been abandoned without financial support while confronting deadly ambushes from armed bandits and communal violent clashes across the state. They accused the state government of doing nothing about their plight.
They also said three of their colleagues have been killed in recent weeks in separate attacks; two in an ambush in Logo Local Government Area and an Inspector killed by armed bandits.
In Kwande Local Government Area, they said, communal crisis has continued unabated.
Speaking with SaharaReporters in an exclusive phone interview, an officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of victimisation revealed that at least three officers have been killed in recent weeks in Logo Local Government Area alone.
“I’m from 45 PMF on special duty here in Benue State. We came from Abuja to this state on January 28, 2026. For four months now, we have not been paid operation allowances and the state government is not doing anything about it,” the police officer said.
“A few weeks ago, we lost two of our men in an ambush in Logo Local Government Area and a week before that, we lost one Inspector to armed bandit attack. Also, in Kwande Local Government Area, we have been facing communal crisis. We’re dying by bullet and by hardship alike.”
The officer noted that the non-payment of allowances extends beyond the 45 PMF squadron to other police units stationed in volatile local council areas, including Ukum, Kwande, and Logo.
“This issue is not only affecting 45 PMF but also other squadrons in places like Kwande, Ukum, and Logo local government areas,” the officer said.
“There is a communal crisis between two communities in Kwande Local Government Area and destruction and burning of houses happened last week. It has been happening since we came in January.
“We are going from bush to bush, combing to flush out the terrorists and bandits terrorising the people and the state government is not doing anything to assist us. Please we just need your voice because we can’t speak for ourselves, please.”
However, SaharaReporters was unable to reach the Benue State Police Command for comment. The Command’s spokesperson, DSP Peter Aondongu, did not take calls, and a text message seeking clarification on the plight of the special duty officers was not answered.