Gunmen kill seven police in Nigerian oil town

LAGOS (AFP) - Gunmen early Saturday killed seven policemen in raids on two police stations in Nigeria's oil capital Port Harcourt.

ADVERTISEMENT The attacks came hours ahead of the start nationwide of state governorship and assembly elections. Residents and one election observer said gunmen attacked and burned down the Mino Okoro and Elelenwo police stations. Polling stations in the immediate vicinity of the two stations attacked were deserted Saturday morning. An AFP correspondent said there was no sign of voters, officials or voting materials there. A Rivers State police spokesman said seven policemen were killed in the two attacks. "Inmates were freed from the two police stations", Rivers State police chief Felix Ogbaudu told AFP. A supporter of local militant leader Ateke Tom said his group, the Niger Delta Vigilantes, carried out the attack. A police officer in mufti who witnessed the Mino Okoro attack from a neighbouring building, said the attackers arrived shouting "We are the Niger Delta youths. Come and do the elections now!". "They threw a grenade into the building to set fire to it after blocking the road on either side of the building", he said, asking not to be identified. He said some 50 youths carried out the attack. An industry source put the number of assailants at 16 and said a further five policemen were wounded in the attacks that happened between 1:30 and 3:30 am (0030 GMT and 0230 GMT). Southern Nigeria's oil-producing region has been the theatre of violence, ranging from gang warfare to kidnappings of oil workers, for the past several years. In a week's time Nigeria, which has a history of electoral violence, will hold presidential elections, expected to mark the country's first civilian-to-civilian handover since Independence in 1960.