At least 23 police officers en route to arrest members of a religious cult were ambushed and killed by a militia group in the central Nigerian region of Nasarawa.
Another 17 officers are still missing, BBC reported. They were headed to arrest Ombatse cult members related to charges of forcing local villagers to join their group, police chief Abayomi Akeremale said, in the BBC.
“We decided to send our men to the area to arrest members of Ombatse, including their priest,” the police chief said in the BBC report. “[They] have been going to churches and mosques initiating people into their cult by forcefully administering an allegiance oath to unwilling people.”
The attack took place in the village of Alakyo, BBC reported. No arrests have yet been made.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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