Suspected bandits have killed five police officers after ambushing a convoy conveying personnel from Sokoto to Zamfara for a special duty assignment.
The attack reportedly occurred on Sunday while the officers were travelling in three vehicles when armed men suddenly 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, disclosing that five of his colleagues were killed.
The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the assailants launched the attack without warning.
‘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.
He explained that the officers were deployed to Zamfara for a special duty assignment when they were attacked.
Videos circulating on social media showed the lifeless bodies of some of the officers inside a vehicle, with their hands and legs reportedly tied with ropes.
The footage also showed personal belongings scattered around the scene, while bloodstains were visible inside the vehicle.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of 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 in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Sokoto on Monday.
He, however, promised to provide further details about the incident in due course.
The killing comes amid persistent security challenges across the North-West, where armed groups continue to launch deadly attacks on security personnel, travellers and rural communities, alongside widespread abductions for ransom.