Gunmen kill Nigerian police officers in southern oil hub: Police

Police stations and security checkpoints targeted in River State amid deteriorating security in the country.

Gunmen have killed at least seven Nigerian police officers in a night of attacks in the southern oil hub of Rivers State, police said on Saturday. The attackers opened fire on a checkpoint on Friday evening, then drove on to hit two police stations, the statement said. Officers fired back, killing two of the raiders and injuring some of the others who escaped in a stolen car, police added. The killings came amid deteriorating security in Rivers State – whose capital, Port Harcourt, is the gateway to the oil-rich Niger Delta region – and other parts of Africa’s largest crude exporter.