17 police officers killed in coordinated terror attack on Army Training School in Yobe

The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the death of 17 police officers following a terrorist attack on the Nigerian Army Special Forces School in Buni Yadi, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State.

The officers were undergoing special operational training when attackers struck the facility in the early hours of May 8 in what authorities described as a coordinated assault.

According to a statement from the Force Public Relations Officer, Anthony Placid, the terrorists launched the attack from multiple directions at approximately 1:15 a.m., overwhelming parts of the training institution.

“The officers, who were undergoing specialized operational training at the institution, lost their lives when terrorists launched a coordinated attack on the facility from multiple directions at about 0115hrs,” the statement read.

The Force also confirmed that several Nigerian Army personnel were killed while repelling the attackers during the exchange.

Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, described the deceased officers as courageous personnel who demonstrated exceptional commitment to national security through advanced counter-terrorism and tactical training.

He stated that the fallen officers paid the supreme price in service to the nation and assured that their sacrifice would not be forgotten by the Force.

The IGP extended condolences to the bereaved families and pledged continued support for those affected by the incident.

“As part of a solidarity visit, the Commissioner of Police in Yobe State, CP Usman Kanfani Jibrin, visited the training facility on behalf of the Inspector-General, where he commiserated with military authorities and surviving trainees,” the statement added.

He also commended the resilience of surviving officers and encouraged them to complete their training in honor of their fallen colleagues.

The Police further assured Nigerians that, in collaboration with the Armed Forces and other security agencies, efforts are ongoing to track and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Force reiterated its commitment to honoring the memory of the slain officers, describing them as heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty.

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled:  Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

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