The Nigeria Police Force said on Tuesday that it lost nine of its operatives to the herdsmen invasion in Benue and Nasarawa States since the beginning of its operation in the two states.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police (Operation), Joshak Habila, disclosed this to newsmen on Tuesday at the Benue State Police Command headquarters.
Habila said 17 suspects have so far been arrested in connection with the clashes between herdsmen and farmers and their fallout.
He said 11 of the suspects were arrested in connection with the January 31, 2018 Gboko, Benue State mayhem and six sin connection with the murder of policemen in the two states.
Habila said no policeman is missing any longer as everyone deployed to the troubled areas returned either dead or alive, assuring that with the coming of the military into the state, it is expected that those who were internally displaced by the crises would soon return to their homes.
Habila said: “As we speak, the IGP deployed 15 units of police mobile force, special forces who were trained in special ways outside the country, the intelligence platform and monitoring units of the IGP were deployed in the state.
“You are aware that people resorted in setting houses ablaze and destroying communities and foodstuffs.
“Police deployed its men in communities under threat.
“We decided to plant men in communities and to respond to distress calls.
“Some mobile police officers ran into ambush and counter ambush, but rather than discourage us, we summoned courage and those who have been linked with the gruesome murder of these policemen have been rounded up.”
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