Several police officers are feared dead, while others are reportedly abducted after suspected bandits ambushed a bus conveying them along the Sokoto–Gusau Road in Zamfara State on Monday.
The officers were reportedly travelling in a Zamfara State mass transit bus, popularly known as Bazamfara, to Gusau, the state capital, when the attackers struck.
Sources at the scene said some officers died during the attack, while others were allegedly taken away by the assailants. However, the number of casualties and the identities of those affected remained unclear as of the time of filing this report.
The officers were reportedly deployed to provide security for the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election for the Zamfara North Senatorial District, which was ongoing in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area.
The attack has raised fresh concerns over the security of personnel deployed to election-related duties in the state, which has suffered repeated attacks by armed groups.
The Zamfara State Police Command declined to comment, saying the incident fell under the jurisdiction of the police zonal command.
The Zone 10 Police Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Ambursa, confirmed the incident but said he was in the hospital and could not provide further details. He promised that an official statement would be issued later.
As of the time of filing this report, the police had not released an official casualty figure or provided details on efforts to locate any officers reportedly abducted.