Maiduguri — The landscape that stretches away from the serpentine border separating northeastern Nigeria from Cameroon is arid, barren and very difficult to defend. Which is why Malo, a corporal in a Nigerian mobile police unit, and his fellow officers were glad to see a convoy of reinforcements unexpectedly show up where their patrol was resting earlier this month, near the border village of Gamboru.
Then the reinforcements, which included army-issue armored cars and heavy-caliber weaponry, began shouting "Allahu Akbar!" and opened fire; 13 police officers were killed in the ambush, Malo told VOA in an exclusive interview.
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