Suspected separatist gunmen have killed at least eight police officers in the past three days in southeastern Nigeria, authorities said on Monday, raising concerns ahead of the weekend’s presidential election.
Four officers were killed in an attack at a station in Anambra state on Monday, as authorities searched for suspects accused of killing four others over the weekend, local police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. The attackers opened fire on the officers as they detonated explosives, he said, adding that three of the attackers were killed and two others arrested.
Police blamed the attacks on a separatist group known as the Indigenous People of Biafra, or IPOB, which wants the southeastern region to gain independence from the West African country.
NIGERIA SEEKS DOLLARS 1.3 BILLION IN AID TO FACE Extremist VIOLENCE
Nigerian officials said suspected separatist gunmen killed eight police officers days before the presidential vote. (Fox News)
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Authorities accused IPOB of instigating the violence that left many dead in the conflict-torn region and fueled fears about the ability of the Nigerian security forces to protect voters at the polls.
The electoral commission may not be able to deploy at some polling stations due to security concerns, said Festus Okoye, an official at Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission.
“Security agencies have promised that they have the ability to protect our communities to allow people to vote,” he said. “(But) for people in areas that are still in conflict, there is absolutely nothing we can do.”
