By Samuel Nworah
Five police officers have been killed after suspected bandits ambushed personnel travelling from Sokoto State to Zamfara State for a special duty assignment, in another deadly attack along the troubled Sokoto-Gusau highway.
The officers were travelling in a convoy when the attackers opened fire on the vehicle bringing up the rear, according to reports from the area.
A police officer who survived the attack told journalists that the gunmen struck suddenly, catching the personnel off guard.
The officers were reportedly heading to Zamfara to provide security for the All Progressives Congress (APC) rerun primary election for the Zamfara North Senatorial District, which was held on Monday, November 2.
The primary took place in Kaura Namoda amid heightened security concerns and reports of violence at some voting centres.
The spokesperson for the Office of the Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 10, Sokoto, DSP Abdullahi Faruk, confirmed the deaths.
He said the remains of the five officers had been deposited at the mortuary of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto.
Faruk said further details would be made available as investigations into the attack continued. Other reports indicated that some personnel may have been abducted during the incident, although the number of missing officers had not been officially established at the time of reporting.
The attack has also been linked to disturbing footage circulating on social media. Some reports said videos appeared to show the bodies of officers inside a damaged vehicle, with some of the victims apparently having their hands or legs tied.
The authenticity and circumstances surrounding the footage, however, have not been independently established, and such graphic material should therefore be treated with caution.
The deadly ambush occurred as security agencies were deployed to protect an APC primary that was itself facing security challenges.
In Kaura Namoda, suspected political thugs disrupted activities at two locations, forcing voters and residents to flee. The chairman of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, Mannir Muhammad Haidara, also reportedly escaped an attack after angry youths confronted him during the exercise.
The Sokoto-Gusau corridor has remained vulnerable to attacks by armed criminal groups, with travellers, farmers and security personnel exposed to kidnapping and other forms of violence.
The latest killings have renewed concerns over the risks faced by police and other security personnel who are routinely deployed through dangerous routes to protect public events and maintain law and order.
The attack also raises difficult questions about the security arrangements for political activities in the North-West, particularly at a time when political parties are intensifying preparations for the 2027 general elections.
With the investigation continuing, attention will now turn to efforts to identify those responsible for the ambush, establish whether any officers remain missing and determine how such an attack occurred against personnel travelling for an official security assignment.
