WORLD NEWS | Nigeria: Gunmen kill police 8 days before presidential vote

ABUJA (Nigeria), Feb. 21 (AP) – Suspected separatist gunmen have killed at least eight police officers in southeastern Nigeria over the past three days, authorities said here, raising concerns ahead of weekend presidential elections.

Four police officers were killed in an attack on a station in Anambra state on Monday, while authorities were hunting for suspects accused of killing four others over the weekend, local police spokesman Tochukwu Ikenga said. The attackers opened fire on the police while detonating explosives, he said, adding that three attackers were killed and two others were arrested.

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Police blamed the attack on a separatist group called the Indigenous People of Biafra, or IPOB, which wants the southeast to gain independence from the West African country.

Authorities have accused the IPOB of fomenting violence that has killed many people in the conflict-ridden area and raised concerns about the ability of Nigerian security forces to protect voters at polling stations.

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Festus Okoye, an official with Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission, said the commission may not be able to deploy to some polling stations due to security concerns.

“Security agencies have committed to their ability to protect our communities and enable people to vote,” he said. “(But) there is absolutely nothing we can do for people who are still in conflict zones.” (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)