No fewer than 13 policemen were on Sunday killed by suspected bandits in the Bagudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The police personnel were gunned down at a mobile camp in Kurar Mota community, police said.
Governor Bello Matawalle expressed shock at the incident in a statement by his spokesman Yusuf Idris.
The statement said Matawalle expressed “devastation“ when he visited seven injured police officers who were receiving treatment at the Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital, Gusau.
“It was on receipt of the news of the unfortunate incident that the governor … immediately rushed to the hospital to sympathise with those currently receiving treatment at the facility.
“While lamenting the attack, Matawalle promised to partner with other security agencies in the state to track down the attackers and all their sponsors and collaborators with a view to bringing them to justice.
“The police officers were ambushed at a mobile police camp set up as part of the measures taken by the government to fight bandits in the state.
“Matawalle, who was highly devastated by the sad incident, said the troops are doing very well at the war front … and had decimated the number of insurgents in the area,” the statement said.
It said the governor would make the attack his major priority until the perpetrators are apprehended or a good level of success made towards their arrest.
Meanwhile, the Zamfara Police Command confirmed the killing of the 13 officers with seven others injured by the attackers.
The Command’s spokesperson Mohammed Shehu in a statement said, “The attack occurred on Sunday at about 1230hrs, when Police Mobile operatives deployed at Kurar Mota Village were responding to a distress call with regards to an attempt by the bandits to attack some nearby communities.
“The police personnel, who ran into the ambush, exhibited resilience and gallantry by engaging the hoodlums, an effort that deterred the bandits from attacking the communities.
“Unfortunately, 13 personnel paid the supreme price. However, the bandits on their part suffered heavy casualties.”
According to the Mr Shehu, the police have launched a manhunt aimed at apprehending the attackers.
