- The police were killed at a checkpoint
- The bandits invaded a village, stole food items and rustle cattle, a local said
Bandits terrorising Nigeria’s northwest state of Zamfara have killed for policemen.
The policemen were reportedly gunned down by the rampaging bandits on Gusau -Sokoto road in the Bungudu Local Government area of the beleaguered state.
The policemen were on duty at a section of the road where they had mounted a roadblock when the bandits in their numbers ambushed and shot them dead on Monday, a local, Haruna Musa, said.
Musa said, “The police officers were on duty and mounted a roadblock not knowing that the bandits were hiding in a bush near the roadblock.
“The bandits suddenly came out of their hiding place and opened fire on the police officers, killing four of them.”
Musa disclosed that the bandits later moved to a nearby village and rustled several animals and stole foodstuffs.
The spokesperson of the state police command, SP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the attack but denied knowing whether any policeman died during the attack.
Security operatives, especially policemen, have become a target for bandits wreaking havoc in northern part of the country.
Earlier this month, bandits killed Assistant Commissioner of Police Aminu Umar Dayi, the Dutsinma Area Commander of the Nigerian Police in Katsina State.
The deceased assistant commissioner of police had organised an assault on a bandit hideout in the Safana forest, where he and another officer paid the ultimate price after being defeated by the thugs in a bloody gunfight.
In May, Two retired police officers and three others out of the over 60 people kidnapped from Adunu in the Paikoro Local Government Area and Beni in Munaya Local Government of Niger State, were killed by bandits over unpaid ransoms.
The bandits had killed the victims to send a warning to the communities on the fate of other victims should the ransom of N100m demanded be delayed further.