At least eight people were killed after gunmen ambushed a security patrol in Zamfara State, northwest Nigeria, on Thursday.
The attack occurred on the road linking the towns of Gusau and Funtua, leaving five police officers and three members of a local militia dead, according to a statement posted on Facebook by Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal.
No group has claimed responsibility for the assault.
Armed ambushes have become frequent in northern Nigeria, where violent clashes often erupt between local farmers and herders over scarce water and farmland. Farmers accuse herders, mostly from the Fulani ethnic group, of letting their livestock graze on crops, causing significant damage.
In recent months, attacks by armed groups seeking ransom through kidnappings have surged across northwestern Nigeria, particularly in Zamfara State.