Suspected bandits have reportedly ambushed a vehicle conveying police officers from Sokoto State to Zamfara State for a special duty assignment, leaving several personnel feared dead.
The incident reportedly occurred on Monday as the officers were travelling to Zamfara for the assignment.
The exact number of casualties remained unclear as of the time of filing this report, while it was also not immediately known whether any of the officers survived the attack. 
Photographs obtained by SaharaReporters showed the bodies of some of the officers inside a bus, with their hands and legs apparently tied with ropes.
Other photographs showed the belongings of the officers scattered around the scene as people gathered to observe the aftermath of the attack. The vehicle reportedly used to convey the personnel was also seen with visible bloodstains.
The reported attack comes amid persistent insecurity across Nigeria’s North-West, where armed groups commonly referred to as bandits have continued to ambush travellers, attack communities, kill residents and abduct victims for ransom.
Zamfara, Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina and Kaduna states have been particularly affected by recurring attacks, with bandits frequently targeting rural communities, highways and other vulnerable locations.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation of the incident were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
The spokesperson for the Sokoto State Police Command, Rufai Ahmed, said he was unaware of the incident and referred inquiries to the spokesperson for the police zone, Ambrusa.
Similarly, the Zamfara State Police Command spokesperson, Yezid Abubakar, said he was unaware of the attack.
