The attack in Kogi is the first known incident involving the Islamic State affiliate in North-central Nigeria. It also comes days after the group claimed its first known attack in Taraba, Northeast.


The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has claimed responsibility for an attack on a police station in Kogi State in North-central Nigeria, on Saturday, April 23.

Five police officers were reportedly killed when fighters of the Islamic State affiliate attacked a police station in the Ogaminana area of Kogi. The group also burnt the police station and two vehicles.

A photograph shared online from the attack in Ogaminana, headquarters of the Adavi Local Government Area showed what appeared to be five AK pattern rifles and several magazines.

According to an earlier report, three officers were killed during the attack on the Police Station around 2 a.m. (WAT) on Saturday.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Kogi, William Aya, was quoted to have said that “… some hoodlums attacked the station from the opposite direction, shooting sporadically, but were repelled by the men on duty and operatives of the Quick Response Unit who were on special operations at the local government.”

He added that the police lost three of its officers during the gunfight while the hoodlums fled with gunshot wounds as they could not get access to the station.