10 Police Officers Killed in Kebbi Gunbattle.

 

Ten police officers and two civilians have been killed in a gunbattle between security forces and armed men in Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

The clash occurred on Monday after security personnel intercepted a group of heavily armed men travelling on motorcycles near the border with Zamfara State, according to the police.

The Kebbi State Police Command spokesperson, Bashir Usman, said 17 of the armed men were also killed during the encounter, while two police officers sustained injuries and are receiving medical attention.

Usman described the dead officers as gallant personnel who lost their lives during the engagement with the armed group.

The police spokesman said the attackers were heavily armed and were operating in an area close to the Zamfara border, where armed groups have continued to carry out attacks on communities and security personnel.

The latest incident underscores the continuing security challenges confronting communities in parts of north-western Nigeria, particularly areas bordering forests and other difficult-to-access terrain used by criminal groups as hideouts.

Security agencies have continued to intensify operations against armed groups operating across the region, with troops and police regularly conducting patrols and operations aimed at preventing attacks, kidnappings and other criminal activities.

The deaths of the 10 officers have, however, renewed concerns over the growing risks faced by security personnel deployed to confront heavily armed criminal groups in remote communities across the country.

Authorities are expected to sustain operations in the affected area and strengthen security along the Kebbi-Zamfara border to prevent the attackers from regrouping and carrying out further attacks on nearby communities.