Gunmen attacked a bus carrying police and Community Protection Guard members in Tsafe, seizing rifles and reportedly abducting officers.

An attack on a security team traveling through northwestern Nigeria has left at least eight personnel dead, with armed assailants escaping with service weapons and reportedly abducting some officers.

Gunmen target bus near Gidan-Giye

The attack occurred on Tuesday near Gidan-Giye village in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State. Gunmen opened fire on a 15-seater bus carrying police officers and members of the Zamfara Community Protection Guard (CPG).

The vehicle was destroyed in the assault.

Conflicting casualty accounts

The reported death toll comprises five police officers and three CPG members, according to the guard’s commandant, Lawal Haruna.

In its account of the aftermath, the police said officers recovered five bodies, rescued seven personnel who escaped unharmed and took two others with gunshot injuries to the hospital.

Weapons taken, officers reportedly abducted

The attackers also reportedly escaped with five AK-47 rifles belonging to the police.

An officer told Reuters that some members of the team had been abducted and taken to an undisclosed location. Authorities have not confirmed how many remain missing.

Years of violence in Nigeria’s northwest

The assault adds to the security challenges facing Zamfara, where armed groups frequently attack villages, target travelers and abduct people for ransom.

The state is part of Nigeria’s northwest, a region that has experienced years of violence involving heavily armed criminal groups commonly referred to as bandits.