Gunmen kill two policemen, abduct six NURTW members

Inspector General of Police, Idris Ibrahim is struggling to combat the rising rate of attacks in northern Nigeria

Gunmen have killed two police officers on patrol and abducted six members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW in Birnin Gwari, Kaduna state.

Kaduna state police spokesman Mukhtar Aliyu said: “We lost two policemen in armed bandits attack on our men on patrol in Birnin Gwari area yesterday (Thursday).

“The gunmen also kidnapped six members of the Birnin Gwari branch of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) who were returning from Zamfara state where they attended a wedding.

“The six men were stopped by the gunmen near Dan Fall village from where they herded them into the bush and allowed their driver to go.”

READ: Armed bandits kill over 30 dead in northern Nigeria

The Kaduna state NURTW chairman, Alhassan Haruna, said the attackers were “obviously part of the kidnapping and cattle rustling gangs that terrorise Birnin Gwari district”.

“We know they are looking for ransom but they are yet to make contact with us,” he added.

In Taraba, which has seen repeated clashes between herders and farmers, state police confirmed an attack on Jandeikyula in the Wukari district.

But they could not confirm local reports that up to 25 people may have been killed.

“I can’t give a figure of casualties at the moment but definitely we have some people who lost their lives in the course of the attack,” said spokesman David Misal.

“Military operatives have been deployed to the affected communities to restore order. Our men are still on the field gathering information,” Misal said.