Five police officers have been killed after suspected bandits attacked a convoy conveying security personnel from Sokoto State to Zamfara State for a special duty assignment.
The attack reportedly occurred on Sunday as the officers travelled in three vehicles.
The armed assailants were said to have opened fire on the vehicle bringing up the rear of the convoy.
A police officer who was part of the team but escaped the attack confirmed the incident, saying five of his colleagues were killed.
“We were travelling in three vehicles when they suddenly opened fire on the third vehicle behind us.
“Five of our members were killed in the process,” he said.
The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that the team was heading to Zamfara for a special assignment when the attackers struck without warning.
Videos circulating on social media showed the bodies of some of the slain officers inside a vehicle, with their hands and legs reportedly tied with ropes.
Personal belongings were also seen scattered around the scene, while bloodstains were visible inside the vehicle.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 10, Sokoto, DSP Abdullahi Faruk, said the remains of the five officers had been deposited at the morgue of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.
Faruk confirmed the attack during a telephone interview with our correspondent on Monday but said further details would be provided later.
The incident adds to the growing security concerns in Nigeria’s North-West, where armed groups have continued to attack security personnel, travellers and rural communities, with several cases of abduction for ransom also reported.
