The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has announced the death of 17 police officers following a terror attack on the Nigerian Army Special Forces School in Buni Yadi, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by police spokesperson Anthony Placid, a deputy commissioner of police (DCP).
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The Nigerian Army had issued a statement about the attack, saying another nearby military formation was also attacked. Sani Uba, the spokesperson for Operation Hadin Kai, a joint task force in the North-east, said about 50 terrorists were killed in the attack that also claimed the lives of two soldiers.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, security analysts suspected that Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) was responsible.
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The police statement
According to Mr Placid’s statement, the officers were undergoing specialised operational training at the military institution when terrorists launched a coordinated assault on the facility in the early hours of 8 May.
The police did not release the names of the officers killed in the attack.
“The officers, who were undergoing specialised operational training at the institution, lost their lives when terrorists launched a coordinated attack on the facility from multiple directions at about 0115hrs,” the statement read.
The police added that several Nigerian Army personnel were also killed while repelling the attack.
Reacting to the incident, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, described the slain officers as “courageous and dedicated personnel” who demonstrated exceptional patriotism through their participation in advanced counter-terrorism and tactical training programmes.
The IGP conveyed condolences to the families of the deceased officers and assured them that the sacrifices of the fallen personnel would not be forgotten.
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“The sacrifices of the deceased officers will never be forgotten,” the IGP was quoted as saying.
According to the statement, the Commissioner of Police in Yobe State, Usman Jibrin, also visited the training institution on behalf of the IGP to commiserate with the commandant of the school, surviving soldiers and surviving police personnel.
According to the police, Mr Jibrin commended the resilience of the surviving officers and encouraged them to remain committed to completing the training programme in honour of their fallen colleagues.
The police said that they would continue to work with the military and other security agencies to track down those responsible for the attack.
“The Nigeria Police Force salutes the courage, sacrifice, and service of the fallen officers whose dedication to duty will forever remain honoured by the nation,” the statement added.
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