Ten police officers and two civilians have been killed in a gun battle with suspected bandits in Kebbi State, the Nigeria Police Force says.
The confrontation happened on Monday morning in the Rafin Makuku area of Sakaba Local Government Area, near the border with Zamfara State.
The police said officers intercepted a heavily armed group travelling between the two states at about 09:25 local time.
According to the Force, 17 suspected bandits were killed during the exchange of fire and four motorcycles used by the attackers were destroyed.
Two other police officers were injured and are receiving medical treatment, the police said.
The deaths make the incident one of the more serious recent losses suffered by security personnel in Kebbi, where authorities have been battling renewed attacks by armed groups.
Police response
The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, expressed condolences to the families of the officers killed.
He said the officers died while carrying out their duties and assured their families that the Nigeria Police Force would continue to support them.
The remains of the dead officers have been taken to Birnin Kebbi, according to the police.
Additional security personnel have also been deployed to the area as officers pursue members of the armed group who escaped from the confrontation.
The police said the area had been brought under control.
Why this matters
The incident highlights the continuing difficulty of securing communities along the Kebbi-Zamfara border, where armed groups have exploited large rural areas and difficult terrain.
Kebbi authorities ordered a review of the state's security strategy in June after a resurgence in bandit attacks.
Governor Nasir Idris held an emergency meeting with security chiefs and other officials to discuss how to strengthen the response.
The security situation has also affected civilian activities.
In June, the National Youth Service Corps stopped posting corps members to Sakaba, Augie and Arewa local government areas because of security concerns.
The decision followed attacks in the state and resulted in fewer corps members being available for schools, health facilities and other public services.
A wider security problem
Kebbi is part of Nigeria's wider north-western security crisis, where bandit groups have carried out killings, kidnappings, cattle rustling and attacks on rural communities.
A recent European Union Agency for Asylum assessment identified banditry and other armed violence among the security challenges affecting the state.
The police have also reported arrests and weapons recoveries in previous operations.
In May, the Kebbi command said it had arrested suspected bandits and recovered arms, ammunition, stolen motorcycles and rustled cattle through what it described as intelligence-led operations.
In June, the command reported further arrests linked to criminal activity around the Soda Forest and border communities in Bagudo Local Government Area.
The police have therefore presented the latest operation as part of a continuing campaign against armed groups rather than an isolated incident.
But the deaths of 10 officers also raise questions about the ability of security agencies to protect personnel operating in areas where heavily armed groups can move across state borders.
What happens next?
The police say they will continue operations in the area and pursue those who escaped.
For residents, the immediate concern will be whether the increased deployment can prevent further attacks and restore confidence in communities along the border.
The longer-term challenge is more difficult: repeated security operations have not eliminated banditry in the region.
The authorities will now face pressure to show that the additional personnel and renewed operations can translate into sustained security for residents, rather than only short-term control after another deadly confrontation.
