Armed men have attacked a police station in northeast Nigeria, killing three officers and stealing some weapons belonging to law enforcement.

"In the early hours of today, gunmen attacked the police station at Bonny Yadi in Gujba local government area. Three policemen were killed and some arms carted away," Lazarus Eli, a military spokesman, said on Friday in Nigeria’s northeastern Yobe State.

Police sources said that the armed men had stolen 25 AK-47 assault rifles, eight handguns and large quantities of ammunition after they threw explosives and set the police station ablaze.

Also on November 4, two police officers were reportedly killed after armed assailants attacked a police station in Yobe State.

Nigeria's northeast has witnessed by deadly gun and bomb attacks in the past several months. Authorities usually hold the Boko Haram militant group responsible for such attacks.


The group has attacked Muslim figures as well as a range of other targets, including the United Nations building in the capital Abuja during the last months.

Human rights groups report that violent actions by Boko Haram since mid-2009 have claimed more than 1,000 lives, including over 300 this year alone.