Heavily armed and under orders to break up an ethnic militia, a combined force of Nigerian police officers and agents of the country's domestic spy agency instead found themselves the target of a brutal attack that left at least 30 of them dead and others still missing days later, AP cited authorities as saying on Thursday. The attack on the officers in Nasarawa state, near Nigeria's central capital of Abuja, again showed how overwhelmed security forces are in this nation as they continue to be targeted in an increasingly bloody insurgency led by extremists in the country's north. The killings even forced President Goodluck Jonathan to abandon a much-heralded diplomatic visit to southern Africa to return home to speak to security forces about the increasing body counts from violence across the nation. The attack Tuesday in the village of Alakio, near Nasarawa's state capital of Lafia, saw members of the Ombatse militia attack and rout the contingent of officers. At least 30 officers of the police and the State Security Service were killed in the attack, Nasarawa police spokesman Michael O. Ada said. Another 17 remain missing and "might be held hostage," Ada said. Ombatse, a militia of people belonging to the Eggon people of the region, had been forcing Christians and Muslims to convert to their quasi-religious organization, Ada said. -- SPA 21:03 LOCAL TIME 18:03 GMT تغريد
