Gunmen attack police stations, kill six officers

By The Citizen

Fresh violence claimed six policemen  in Borno and Yobe states on Thursday, just a day after the Federal Government inaugurated two committees to check insecurity.

In Borno State, gunmen attacked the Bama Divisional  Police Station,  shot dead four policemen and  kidnapped the  divisional police officer (DPO) to  an unknown destination at 11.00 a.m.

They also burnt three houses and part of the market located near the attacked police station.

Bama is 78 kilometres southeast of Maiduguri, the state capital.

According to an eyewitness, the gunmen came in two vehicles and three motorcycles to attack the police station with Improvised Explosive

Devices (IEDs) and petrol bombs, before soldiers rushed to the scene to repel the gunmen who fled with gunshot wounds into the community.

He said: 'We were terrified and shocked by the multiple attacks on the police station, as many of us ran into our houses and shops for safety, as sporadic gunshots near the station continued for over two hours between the gunmen and soldiers. Some of the policemen at the station took to their heels into various directions. '

It was also learnt that the station and the Maiduguri-Bama Road were cordoned for three hours, before the 4.00 p.m.to 6.00 a.m. curfew imposed by the  JTF last month.

A resident said that the DPO was forced into one of the gunmen's vehicles, and taken to an unknown destination.

The Borno State Police Commissioner, Yuguda Abdulahi, confirmed the incident yesterday in Maiduguri, adding that no arrest had been made yet by either the JTF or police.

In Yobe State, gunmen attacked the Joint Task Force (JTF), police area command office and the divisional police station in Gashua. They killed two policemen while the JTF killed  five of the gunmen. Gashua is 85 kilometres north of Damaturu, the Yobe State capital.

The gunmen, according to a resident,  came in various vehicles and tricycles after midnight and attacked the military post and two police formations with Improvised Explosives Devices (IEDs) and petrol bombs.

In a statement, the Spokesman of JTF, Lt. Lazarus Eli said that the gunmen  escaped in two vehicles, after  snatching a police patrol Hilux vehicle with siren, another vehicle and police uniform from the attacked police station.

The statement also said that some arms and ammunition were also recovered from the gunmen , noting that the JTF was still hunting for the gunmen  that fled into the Gashua community.