Three policemen and six palace guards have been killed as suspected armed bandits attacked a Zamfara monarch, the Emir of Kaura Namoda Sanusi Muhammad, at Marabar Maska in Katsina State.
We gathered that the attack occurred on Friday morning when the emir was returning to his kingdom from Abuja.
The emir, a retired major of the Nigerian Army, was appointed in May following demise of his father.
Witnesses told our reporter that the police van escorting the policemen lost control after a heavy gunfire and fell into a ditch.
The emir, who escaped unhurt, was later evacuated from the scene and taken to Central Police Station, Funtua.
The attack attack came at the time hundreds of schoolboys of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara were released by bandits.