Seven Nigerian police officers have been slain by gunmen in the southeast of the country during the weekend, according to a police spokesperson on Tuesday, in the most recent violence to roil the unrest-prone area ahead of Saturday’s elections.
As Nigerians head to the elections to elect new lawmakers and President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor, widespread insecurity is one of their top concerns.
Many individuals have been slain this year in the southeast as a result of gang violence and attacks on election commission offices, police stations, and government facilities.
Gunmen opened fire and deployed improvised explosive devices to target a police station in the Idemili local government area, according to Ikenga Tochukwu, the Anambra state police spokesperson. Three officers were also slain.
He said the attacks were carried out by suspected members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) separatist organization.