Gunmen Attack Kaduna Police Station, Kill Two Officers, Free Inmates

Two police officers were killed and several inmates freed when gunmen launched a late-night assault on the Divisional Police Headquarters in Zonkwa, Zango-Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The attackers stormed the facility on Friday night, opening heavy fire on police personnel on duty. According to eyewitnesses, the incident caused panic across the community as residents were jolted awake by the sound of gunfire that lasted for hours.

Local sources said the gunmen targeted the police station because they believed their detained associates were being held there.

Attack Linked to Arrest of Transformer Vandals

The assault reportedly followed the arrest of suspects accused of vandalising an electrical transformer in Ramai, a community about five kilometres from Zonkwa town. The suspects, said to have come from Kachia Local Government Area, were earlier apprehended by security operatives after local youths in Ramai caught them in the act.

According to residents, the gunmen, believed to be allies of the arrested vandals, came from Kachia to free their members. However, the suspects were not at the Zonkwa Divisional Headquarters at the time of the attack but were being held at a separate security facility.

Eyewitnesses said the armed men stormed the police station, firing indiscriminately as they advanced. Two police officers were killed in the process, while two others sustained varying degrees of injuries. The attackers then forced open detention cells, freeing several inmates before retreating into the night.

Security operatives, including personnel from the Civil Defence Corps, local vigilantes, and hunters, quickly mobilized to repel the attack. A fierce gun battle ensued between the security forces and the gunmen, who were eventually forced to withdraw after several hours of exchange.

Community on Edge After Night of Chaos

Residents described the attack as one of the most coordinated assaults in recent times within Zango-Kataf LGA. A female police officer, initially believed to have been abducted during the chaos, was later found safe. She reportedly fled for safety when the shooting intensified, leading to initial reports that she had been kidnapped.

A local source confirmed that none of the police officers were abducted and no weapons were carted away during the attack. Only a mobile phone belonging to one of the officers was reportedly stolen.

“The gunmen overpowered the officers on duty at first, but reinforcements arrived later to push them back,” a community member recounted.

“It’s suspected that their mission was to free the transformer vandals arrested days earlier, but those suspects were actually being held elsewhere.”

The attack has heightened tension in the area, with residents calling for increased security presence around police formations and communities across southern Kaduna. Many expressed fears that the assault could be a signal of renewed violence by criminal groups operating in the region.

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Authorities are yet to release an official statement regarding the number of casualties or arrests made in connection with the attack. Efforts to reach security officials for comments were ongoing as of the time of filing this report.

Security patrols have since been intensified in and around Zonkwa, with local vigilantes and community leaders working alongside security agencies to track the attackers.

The assault adds to a string of violent incidents in Kaduna State, where police stations and security posts have increasingly become targets of gunmen seeking to free detained members or steal weapons. Residents have urged both state and federal authorities to strengthen intelligence gathering and improve the safety of law enforcement personnel in the region.