A legal practitioner and human rights activist, Orchardson Umoh, has urged the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to revisit the 2018 Ayilamo attack in Benue State, where over 12 police officers were ambushed and killed during an operation.

In a petition dated February 11 and made available to journalists in Calabar, Umoh expressed concern that seven years after the incident, justice has not been served for the families of the deceased officers and the surviving victims. He called for the recovery and proper burial of the fallen officers and support for the survivors.

The petition revealed that 23 officers from Mopol Unit 33 in Ado Ekiti and the Imo Safer Highway Unit were deployed to Ayilamo to protect lives and property but were ambushed by suspected militias or bandits. Over 12 officers were killed or taken captive, and their remains are yet to be recovered.

Umoh lamented the lack of attention given to the case, questioning the circumstances surrounding the attack and the actions taken by authorities. “What exactly happened? How did it happen? Who was involved? What actions were taken in response?” he queried in the petition.

He stressed the need for a thorough investigation to uncover potential operational lapses or policy violations that may have contributed to the attack. Such an inquiry, he said, would not only bring closure to the affected families but also enhance security measures within the police force to prevent similar tragedies.

Umoh urged the police authorities to prioritise the case, retrieve the bodies of the slain officers, and provide necessary support to their families. He noted that resolving the issue would restore public confidence in the system and honour the sacrifices made by the fallen officers.

The petition partly reads, “There is a need to bring closure to the incident by recovering and returning the corpses of those who lost their lives for proper burial, as well as ensuring the protection and care of the survivors.

“Sadly, it appears that not enough attention has been given to this incident. The scale of the tragedy demands critical questions be asked and answered. In other words, a proper investigation ought to have been conducted to provide more insight into the incident, determine if there were any lapses, and identify any safety or operational policies that may have been violated.

“In this manner, the police would have more information to prevent or manage similar incidents in the future,” the activist stated.