The dreaded Islamic State-linked terrorist group, Boko Haram, on Sunday morning invaded a division of the Nigeria Police in Borno State, killing four police officers, injuring scores of others, before setting the headquarters ablaze.
The incident, according to the police hierarchy in Nigeria, occured at Gajiram, the headquarters of Nganzai Local Government Area, about 82 kilometers from Maiduguri, the state capital, after the deadly terrorists infiltrated the town and went straight to the police station while officers on duty were still asleep.
According to a counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad Region, Zagazola Makama, the terrorists disguised themselves and sneaked into the town and made straight to the police headquarters where they opened fire, killing the four policemen.
Makama, who quoted security sources in a statement he posted on X, said the casualty figure would have been much but for some mobile policemen at the police headquarters who engaged the terrorists in a heavy gun battle which prevented the assailants from causing more havoc.
“Some of the police officers were also lucky to have survived the onslaught of the terror attack, but the unfortunate four officers paid the supreme price while on active duty,” Makama said.
“There was confusion in the town as the terrorists attacked the police station in Gajiram. They outnumbered and overpowered the policemen on duty.
“We found four dead bodies of the policemen who lost their lives early this morning. Some policemen are yet to return as we speak,” he wrote.
Borno State, located in North East Nigeria, has been the epicenter of terrorism for over 20 years, and has repeatedly come under several severe attacks from insurgents and terrorists like Boko Haram and ISWAP, despite the efforts of the military and other joint security operatives to contain the heinous activities of the terror groups in the state.