Gunmen attack police station in northern Nigeria

Nigeria, Jan 30 – Gunmen attacked a police station in Nigeria’s flashpoint city of Kano at dawn on Monday, setting off a gun battle with police, residents said.

It is the second time in three days that the Mandawari police station has come under attack in Kano, the country’s second biggest city and the scene of one of the deadliest attacks blamed on the Islamist sect Boko Haram.

“It was crazy. These guys came on motorcycles and opened fire on the police station but they met tough resistance from the police, and it lasted around 20 minutes,” Jamilu Muhammad, who lives across the police station, told AFP.

Witnesses said it was not yet clear if there were any casualties, and police were not immediately available for comment.

“From my house I heard gunshots at exactly 5:50 am (0450 GMT) coming from around the police station,” said a local journalist who lives in the neighbourhood.

He said motorcyles were racing up and down his street as the sound of gunfire rang around the police station.

The attack took place in the Mandawari neighbourhood, not far from the palace of the emir of Kano, the most important traditional leader in the city.

Boko Haram was blamed for a series of bombings and shootings in Kano on January 20 that mainly targeted police stations and killed at least 185 people.

Monday’s attack was the fourth on police buildings since January 20.

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