Â鶹´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Ahead of Nigeria elections, gunmen kill police officers in southeast

Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the People's Democratic party, Nigeria's opposition party, centre, waves to his supporters during a presidential election campaign rally in Yola Nigeria, on Feb. 18, 2023. (Radeno Haniel / AP) Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the People's Democratic party, Nigeria's opposition party, centre, waves to his supporters during a presidential election campaign rally in Yola Nigeria, on Feb. 18, 2023. (Radeno Haniel / AP)
Share
ONITSHA, Nigeria -

Gunmen have killed seven Nigerian police officers since the weekend in the southeast, a police spokesperson said on Tuesday, in the latest violence to rock the volatile region ahead of elections on Saturday.

Widespread insecurity is among the top concerns for Nigerians as they head to the polls to elect new members of parliament and a successor to President Muhammadu Buhari.

In the southeast, violence by armed gangs and suspected separatist groups has killed dozens of people this year while electoral commission offices, police stations and government buildings have also been attacked.

Ikenga Tochukwu, police spokesperson for Anambra, said three officers were killed after gunmen used improvised explosive devices and opened fire at a police station in Idemili local government area.

Gunmen had on Saturday and Sunday used petrol bombs and automatic guns to attack two police stations in Idemili and Oyi local government area, killing four officers, Tochukwu added.

He said suspected members of separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were behind the attacks.

IPOB, which Buhari's government has branded a terrorist group, denied responsibility.

The southeast is home to the Igbo homeland ethnic group. An attempt to secede as the Republic of Biafra in 1967 triggered a three-year civil war that killed more than 1 million people.

Reporting by Anamesere Igboeroteonwu, writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe, editing by Andrew Cawthorne

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

Canadian musician Jacob Hoggard has been found not guilty of sexually assaulting a young woman in northeastern Ontario eight years ago. The former Hedley frontman had pleaded not guilty to sexual assault.

Police have arrested a Toronto woman in connection with three recent homicides and investigators say that they believe two of the victims may have been 'randomly targeted.'

The body of a British Columbia mountain climber has been located and recovered after the 39-year-old man was reported missing during a solo climb on Washington state's Mount Baker earlier this week.

A teen charged with the murder of another teen on Prince Edward Island last year has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter.

A Saskatchewan man living in the United States has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography after he unknowingly provided disturbing videos to an FBI agent he thought was a pedophile.

Local Spotlight

Chantal Kreviazuk is set to return to Winnipeg to mark a major milestone in her illustrious musical career.

From the beaches of Cannes to the bustling streets of New York City, a new film by a trio of Manitoba directors has toured the international film festival circuit to much pomp and circumstance.

A husband and wife have been on the road trip of a lifetime and have decided to stop in Saskatchewan for the winter.

The grave of a previously unknown Canadian soldier has been identified as a man from Hayfield, Man. who fought in the First World War.

A group of classic car enthusiasts donated hundreds of blankets to nursing homes in Nova Scotia.

Moving into the second week of October, the eastern half of Canada can expect some brisker fall air to break down from the north

What does New Westminster's təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre have in common with a historic 68,000-seat stadium in Beijing, an NFL stadium and the aquatics venue for the Paris Olympics? They've all been named among the world's most beautiful sports venues for 2024.

The last living member of the legendary Vancouver Asahi baseball team, Kaye Kaminishi, died on Saturday, Sept. 28, surrounded by family. He was 102 years old.

New data from Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley shows a surge in supply and drop in demand in the region's historically hot real estate market.