Five Nigerian police officers were killed when armed bandits ambushed a passenger bus transporting them from Sokoto state to neighbouring Zamfara state on Monday evening, police confirmed.
The officers were travelling along the Sokoto-Gusau highway aboard a Zamfara state mass transit bus when gunmen intercepted the vehicle and opened fire.
Police spokesperson Abdullahi Faruk confirmed the attack, saying the bodies of the five officers had been taken to the morgue at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto.
The officers were reportedly travelling to Zamfara on a special security assignment connected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Zamfara North Senatorial District.
They had been deployed to provide security during the party’s electoral activities in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area.
The circumstances surrounding the ambush remain unclear, and authorities have not announced any arrests or identified the armed group responsible.
The attack underscores the continuing security challenges facing northwestern Nigeria, where armed criminal groups frequently target travellers, attack rural communities and abduct residents for ransom.
Zamfara, Sokoto, Katsina, Kaduna and Kebbi states have experienced repeated incidents of armed violence despite ongoing military and police operations aimed at dismantling criminal networks.
The killing of five officers travelling on an official assignment has once again highlighted the dangers faced by security personnel operating in the region.
Authorities have yet to release further details about the investigation or any operations launched to apprehend those responsible.