Two officers have been killed after suspected armed herders ambushed the convoy of the divisional police officer (DPO) in Ayilamo, Logo LGA of Benue state.

Aondongu, spokesperson for the Benue state police command, confirmed the incident on Wednesday, report said.

The DPO, who reportedly travelled to Makurdi on official duty, was returning to Ayilamo on Monday when armed assailants ambushed his entourage.

The victims were said to have been among the newly deployed mobile police officers in the area.

Last Thursday, four police officers and seven civilians were killed when bandits attacked the community.

Aondongu said “suspected armed bandits in large numbers” invaded and attacked the community before killing the victims.

The police spokesperson said police operatives comprising the PMF unit, tactical team and conventional police officers deployed to the area responded and engaged the attackers in a firefight that lasted seven hours.

“The operatives stood firm in defence of the community and successfully repelled the attack, forcing the criminal elements to retreat into the surrounding forest with heavy casualties in the early hours of 11th September 2026,” Aondongu said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to conducting a transparent, credible, inclusive and peaceful 2027 general election, assuring Nigerians that the outcome of the polls will reflect the sovereign will of the electorate.

The assurance was given by the Acting Chairman of INEC, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, on Tuesday while receiving the African Union (AU) Pre-Election Needs Assessment Mission on behalf of the Commission at its headquarters in Abuja.

The AU delegation, led by former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Demeke Mekonnen, is in Nigeria to assess the country’s overall electoral preparedness and identify areas requiring further support and intervention.

Welcoming the delegation, Gumus described the mission as an important opportunity for peer assessment, institutional learning and strengthening of Nigeria’s electoral processes at a critical period in the country’s democratic journey.

She said INEC valued its partnership with the AU in advancing democratic standards and credible electoral governance across the continent.

According to her, the mission should not be viewed as a formality but as an important mechanism for strengthening institutional resilience and reinforcing public confidence in the electoral process.

Gumus highlighted the scale of preparations already underway for the 2027 general election, saying INEC was undertaking extensive operational, technological and logistical preparations to ensure effective participation by all eligible Nigerians.

She added that lessons from recent off-cycle elections in Anambra, the Federal Capital Territory, Ekiti and Osun states continued to provide valuable learning opportunities for the Commission.

The Acting Chairman also outlined areas where technical and institutional support from the AU would be valuable.

They include digital training for ad hoc election personnel, countering election-related disinformation and deepfakes, strengthening the Election Monitoring and Support Centre, as well as deepening inclusivity and gender-mainstreaming frameworks.

She emphasised that electoral integrity remained a collective responsibility involving electoral institutions, political parties, civil society organisations, security agencies, the media, development partners and the electorate.

Gumus also reaffirmed the independence and neutrality of the Commission, saying it remained committed to conducting the 2027 election professionally.

She assured that under the current Commission led by Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, every administrative decision would strictly follow the law, while technical deployments would be designed to promote transparency.

She said the final outcome of the 2027 general election would reflect the sovereign will of the Nigerian electorate.

Speaking on the purpose of the visit, Mekonnen said the AU mission was designed as a supportive and consultative engagement aimed at assessing activities already underway, identifying gaps and risks, and exploring possible areas of technical assistance.

He said the mission would engage INEC and other key stakeholders to assess preparedness in voter registration and register integrity, electoral technology, logistics, funding, inclusion, transparency, dispute resolution, security coordination and results management.

Mekonnen underscored the continued partnership between Nigeria and the African Union in promoting democratic governance and credible elections across the continent.

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, has described All Progressives Congress, APC, governors as “politically lazy”.

The comment followed the APC governors’ opposition to his Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Wike spoke in an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Tuesday, arguing that his decision to support President Bola Tinubu did not mean he had abandoned his political party or agreed that other parties should not field candidates.

Recall that the governors, led by their chairman and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, had said they would not participate in, support or endorse any alliance that could undermine President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid or affect APC candidates at any level.

Reacting, the former Rivers State governor said, “They are politically lazy. When you have your local problems, don’t use Mr President as your excuse.”

According to him, the disagreements surrounding his political activities did not start with his decision to support Tinubu, recalling that he had faced opposition even when he was serving as governor of Rivers State and later as FCT minister.

“This thing did not start today. It started at a ministerial position. They were not happy that I was Minister of FCT. Also, they were unhappy when I was governor,” he added.

Wike said his knowledge of the political situation was greater than that of those criticising his activities, suggesting that his critics would understand his position better if they had access to the information available to him.