20120827
AFP
A group of armed men killed a policeman on Sunday in the tense northeastern Nigerian city of Damaturu, which has been hit by several attacks carried out by Extrimists in recent months, residents said.

"A group of gunmen opened fire on a policeman as he was walking home after closing from work this afternoon," resident Buba Kolo told AFP.

"They made away with his rifle and bullet-proof vest. The shooting caused a stampede in nearby market as traders hurriedly closed their shops and fled the area," he said.

Another resident Zakari Sheu gave a similar account of the incident in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, which has been a hotbed of deadly insurgency by the Islamist group Boko Haram in recent months.

"I fled the area when I saw the body of the policeman lying on the ground soaked in blood. His rifle was missing, so was his bullet-proof jacket," he said.

Police in Damaturu confirmed the attack, but could not give details.

"There were shootings along Potiskum road near the main market around 4:30 pm. Details are still sketchy. Am awaiting a comprehensive report from the divisional police officer in charge of the area," state police spokesman Toyin Gbadegesin told AFP.

Boko Haram, which is seeking to create an Islamic state in the north, has killed more than 1,400 people since 2010 in attacks across northern and central Nigeria.

The insurgency by the group has grown increasingly sophisticated in recent months with security agents, including the police, state institutions and Christians being targetted.