Gunmen, believed to be members of the extremist Boko Haram sect, have launched a vicious attack on the police station in Nafada local government area of Gombe state, residents and security officials have told PREMIUM TIMES.
Police officers attached to the station have been overpowered even as some of the officers reportedly fled on sighting the insurgents said to have superior fire power, security sources said.
Police sources said the Gombe State Command of the Police had already sent reinforcement to the town to explore the possibility of restoring normalcy and retaking the station from the insurgents.
The detachment, our sources said, are on their way to the town.
Arms and ammunition are however believed to have been looted from the station.
The spokesperson of the Command, Fwaje Atajiri, confirmed there were reports of attacks in Nafada, and that reinforcement had been sent there. He however said details of the incident were still sketchy.
“You can call later for details. We just sent our team there . They are on their way and I don’t want to give you inaccurate information,” Mr. Atajiri said.
The attack on Nafada police station is coming almost a year after a similar onslaught by the insurgents on the police station in Boduje Town of Kwami Local Government Area of the State.
A police officer and three suspected sect members were killed in that November 19, 2013 attack, the police said at the time.
Earlier on June 26, 2013, gunmen attacked a police station and a police patrol team in Kumo Town of the state. A police inspector reportedly died in that attack.
Five days ago, a deadly explosion, believed to have been masterminded by the Boko Haram sect, ripped through a bus station in central Gombe killed at least 23 people and injured many more.