NEWS
Bandits Open Fire On Police Convoy, Kill Officers On Sokoto-Zamfara Highway
Bandits Open Fire On Police Convoy, Kill Officers On Sokoto-Zamfara Highway
Suspected bandits have killed five police officers after ambushing a convoy conveying personnel from Sokoto to Zamfara State for a special duty assignment.
The attackers opened fire on the third vehicle in the three-vehicle convoy, killing the officers travelling in it.
A police officer who survived the attack confirmed the killings, while the remains of the victims were deposited at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto.
The attack adds to a series of deadly assaults on security personnel, travellers and rural communities across the North-West amid persistent banditry and kidnappings.
November 3, () – Suspected bandits have killed five police officers after opening fire on a convoy conveying police personnel from Sokoto State to Zamfara State for a special duty assignment.
The attack occurred on Sunday as the officers travelled in three vehicles, with the armed assailants opening fire on the vehicle bringing up the rear of the convoy.
A police officer who was part of the team but survived the attack confirmed the incident, disclosing that five of his colleagues were killed.
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The officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attackers launched the assault 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, adding that the officers were deployed to Zamfara State for a special duty assignment when they came under attack.
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Police Confirm Deaths
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.
Videos circulating on social media showed the lifeless bodies of some of the officers inside a vehicle believed to have been part of the convoy.
Some of the bodies appeared to have their hands and legs tied with ropes, while personal belongings were scattered around the scene. Bloodstains were also visible inside the vehicle.
The circumstances surrounding the deaths of the officers, including whether they were restrained before being killed, had yet to be officially established.
North-West Under Persistent Bandit Attacks
The killing comes amid persistent security challenges across the North-West, particularly in Sokoto and Zamfara states, where armed groups continue to carry out deadly attacks on security personnel, travellers and rural communities.
The two states have recorded repeated incidents of banditry, including killings, mass abductions, cattle rustling and attacks on security formations.
Major roads and rural settlements across the region have also remained vulnerable to attacks, with travellers and residents frequently exposed to kidnappings for ransom and violent assaults by armed groups.
Security agencies have sustained operations against the criminal groups, with military and police personnel deployed to affected areas to combat banditry, rescue abducted victims and restore security.
The latest incident brings renewed attention to the dangers confronting security personnel operating in the region, where armed groups have repeatedly targeted law enforcement officers and other security operatives.
As of Monday, the police had not disclosed the identities of the five officers killed or provided further details about the circumstances of the ambush.
The police also had yet to announce whether any suspects had been arrested in connection with the attack.
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