Three police personnel attached to Zogirma community in Bunza Local Government Area of Kebbi State have been shot dead by suspected fighters of the Lakurawa terror organisation.
The Kebbi State Police Command confirmed the development in a statement made available to BusinessDay, Saturday. The police said the officers died during a shootout when the armed fighters of the group attacked commuters along the Zogirma–Tilli Highway, in the LGA.
The gunmen were said to have engaged the security team, who were trying to prevent the attack on the commuters, in a fierce exchange of gunfire.
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Nafiu Abubakar, spokesperson of the command, stated that several suspected fighters of the group were neutralised during the encounter, while others escaped to the nearby forest with serious injuries.
He disclosed that regrettably, three brave Police Officers lost their lives during the encounter,” said the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafiu Abubakar.
Nafiu further disclosed that reinforcement from the No. 36 Police Mobile Force Squadron in Birnin Kebbi was brought to assist the police team, noting that, however, the attackers fled into the forest before they could be apprehended.
He said that the state Commissioner of Police, Bello M. Sani, acknowledged the courage of the officers who died in the operation. He offered prayers for their souls and urged residents to remain alert and report any suspicious activity.
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He noted that Sani also stressed that the Police Command remains committed to the safety and protection of lives across the state.
The members of the Lakurawa terror group are believed to have migrated into Nigeria from the neighbouring Niger Republic, in Sokoto state.
The group is now very active in Kebbi state, where it has carried out several attacks on many communities that has resulted in the death of many Nigerians.
