Three police officers were killed on Monday when an armoured personnel carrier (APC) struck an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by terrorists along the Anka–Bagega axis of Zamfara State.
The incident was confirmed by the media aide to Governor Dauda Lawal, Mugira Yusuf, in a statement issued on Tuesday.
TheFact Daily notes that the attack highlights a growing shift in the tactics employed by armed groups operating in northwestern Nigeria.
According to the statement, the officers were on a routine patrol targeting armed groups operating in the area when one of the police unit’s APCs ran over the explosive device concealed along the route.
The officers killed in the blast were identified as Superintendent of Police Abdulrazak Hassan, Inspector Murtala Musa and Inspector Auwal Ahmad.
Yusuf said the deceased officers were trained Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) specialists attached to the Zamfara State Police Command.
He disclosed that following the explosion, armed bandits emerged from nearby forests and set the damaged APC ablaze before fleeing the scene.
Efforts to obtain comments from the Zamfara State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Yazeed Abubakar, could not be reached at the time of filing this report.
Traditionally known for mass kidnappings, cattle rustling and village raids carried out with small arms, the terrorist groups are increasingly deploying improvised explosive devices, a tactic long associated with insurgent organisations operating in the Northeast.
Security analysts have warned that the emergence of IED attacks in the North-West could signal an escalation in the region’s security challenges and pose new risks to both security personnel and civilians.
