The incident occurred on Monday at about 4:00pm when the Joint Security Task Force comprising of police and local vigilantes were on a routine patrol of the area.

Some gunmen have killed three policemen and two local vigilantes in an ambush in Kwanan Dutse under Mariga Local Government Area of the Niger State.

The incident occurred on Monday at about 4:00pm when the Joint Security Task Force comprising of police and local vigilantes were on a routine patrol of the area.

This latest attack comes barely three days after gunmen attacked some communities in Kontagora and Mashehu local government areas, killing three people and abducting 28 others.

An unspecified number of cattle were also rustled during the attack.

The Joint Security Task Force had earlier on Sunday morning repelled an attack by another group of gunmen after about two hours of gun duel at Bari Village along Tegina-Kontagora Road.

No death was recorded in the attack but eyewitnesses said it was a fierce battle between the gunmen and Joint Security Task Force.

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However, according to a source close to Kwanan Dutse, the gunmen came back on Monday evening and barricaded Kontagora Road around Kwanan Dutse, unknowing to the patrol team who ran into the roadblock.

It was learnt that the exchange of gunfire between the gunmen and Joint Security TaskForce led to the killing of three policemen and two local vigilantes while others sustained various degrees of injury.

The source also revealed that a number of gunmen were killed in the gun battle but their bodies were evacuated by colleagues on their motorcycles.

Meanwhile, a detachment of police tactical squad and military have been deployed to the area and have launched a manhunt with a view to tracking down the criminals.