Police said that at least 12 forest guards were killed in the attack on Oke-Ode, a town located in Kwara State, North-Central Nigeria.
The attack highlights the worsening security situation in central and northwest Nigeria, where armed groups known as bandits are responsible for mass killings, abductions and raids in rural communities.
Adetoun Ejire Adeyemi, the Kwara Police spokesperson, said that gunmen stormed an office of a local government at around 0600 GMT Sunday and fired at random.
Police reported that four people were injured in the attack. They are being treated in hospitals. The traditional chief of the area was among those killed.
AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, the governor of Kwara State, condemned the attack and demanded an increase in military presence.
The governor’s office announced that the Nigerian Army Headquarters had sent troops to Kwara in response to the Governor’s request to supervise operations.
The police said that forest security and troops were searching for the attackers in a joint effort.
Ejire Adeyemi stated that “those responsible will be brought before the justice system”.
