The police on Tuesday said they lost seven of their officers attached to the Special Forces Unit in a ghastly motor accident on their way to Katsina.
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The Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), Mr Frank Mba, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said 11 other victims of the accident sustained injuries and were currently in a hospital in Kaduna receiving medical attention.
Mba said the incident, which occurred at Jaji town along Kaduna-Zaria Road on Sunday, involved an 18-seater Toyota Hummer Bus conveying 18 personnel of the unit.
The FPRO said the deceased were part of an additional deployment made recently by the force to boost the ongoing fight against bandits in Katsina State.
He said the Inspector General of Police (I-G), Mr Mohammed Adamu, had condoled the families and friends of the seven officers.
Mba said the I-G described the incident as a huge loss to the Force, adding that it was one of the unfortunate sacrifices officers often encounter in the line of duty.
According to him, the I-G described the deceased as “Heroes of Peace”.
He said that a team of police medical personnel had been dispatched to Kaduna State where the 11 officers that survived the accident were receiving medical attention.
The FPRO said three of the deceased officers had been buried according to Islamic rites while the remains of the other four had been deposited in a morgue.
“The I-G has directed the Police Accounts and Budget Department to ensure the immediate payment of the burial expenses, benefits and other entitlements to the families of the deceased officers,” he said.