Unknown gunmen suspected to be bandits attacked a police checkpoint in the Tsafe local government area of Zamfara state resulting in the death of three police officers.

According to Daily Trust, the police officers were engaged in a routine stop-and-search operation along the Funtua-Gudau Highway when the bandits launched a sudden attack.

The incident took place at a checkpoint located less than 2 kilometers from Tsafe town, and the attack occurred around 1 p.m. on Tuesday.

The bandits were reported to have concealed their motorbikes in nearby farms, approaching the checkpoint on foot before fatally assaulting the officers.

A witness explained, “Three Policemen were said to have been killed while the driver of the police patrol van and five other Policemen ran into the bush for safety. The police driver is currently receiving medical attention at the hospital. The man is still unconscious as at the time I went to the hospital. He could not sit properly.”

The whereabouts of the remaining five Policemen who sought refuge in the bush could not be ascertained at the time of the report.

Another witness also revealed that there were nine Policemen on duty at the checkpoint during the attack. “I passed them a few minutes before the unfortunate attack,” the source shared. “The incident occurred 30 minutes after I passed the checkpoint.”

As of now, the police authorities have not issued a statement in response to this latest incident.