Bandits ambush police team in northwest Nigeria, kill 7 officers

By Ibrahim Garba Shuaibu

KANO, Nigeria (AA) - Armed bandits ambushed a group of police officers in northwestern Nigeria’s Zamfara state, killing at least seven personnel, sources said Tuesday.

The incident took place on Monday near Zonai village in Magami district in the Gusau local government area.

The officers were returning from duty where they were manning a checkpoint near Zonai along Gusau-Magami-Dansadau road when the armed gang opened fire on their vehicle.

“It is a very sad development especially for us in Magami because the police officers had helped tremendously in stabilizing the horrific security situation in this area,” said Halliru Muhammad, an eyewitness.

“In fact, their presence at that checkpoint had boosted the confidence of travelers to ply that road. Dozens of travelers have been killed or kidnapped along the 50-kilometer (31-mile) Gusau-Magami road. It is really sad and tragic,” he added.

The spokesman for the Zamfara State Police Command, Muhammad Shehu, could not be reached for comment.

However, Awwal Usman Ruwandoruwa, the public relations officer for Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital, said the bodies of the slain officers were brought to the hospital Tuesday.

Zamfara is among the states in northwest Nigeria that have been suffering from bandit attacks. The state has witnessed daily kidnappings by gunmen demanding ransoms, while some communities have been denied access to their farmland by bandits.