CP confirms police station attack

The Commissioner of Police in Maiduguri, Alhaji Lawal Tanko, on Thursday confirmed a suspected Boko Haram attack on a police station in Banki town.

"I confirm there was an attack on Banki town by suspected members of the Boko Haram in the early hours of Wednesday.

"The police station in the town was partially affected. I lost an officer and some of my men sustained injuries," Tanko said.

A resident of the town, Mr John Samuel, who survived the attack, had told newsmen in Maiduguri on Thursday that the attackers rode on motorcycles and Hilux vehicles and used sophisticated weapons for the attack.

"They drove from the bush around 02:00 on motorcycles and Hilux vehicles and carried sophisticated weapons," he said.

Samuel said that the gunmen used rocket propellers to attack the police station which led to fire outbreak

"Some policemen at the station tried to engage the gunmen in a shootout, but when they realised that the invaders had superior power, they fled," he said.

He said the gunmen also raided homes and killed some residents of the town before fleeing.