Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari speaks during a plenary session at the start of the Paris Peace Forum, in Paris, France, November 11, 2021. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

ABUJA, July 6 (Reuters) – Unidentified gunmen ambushed the advance convoy of Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in the northern state of Katsina injuring two, a spokesperson for presidency said in a statement.

Buhari was not in the convoy of cars carrying an advance team of security guards, protocol and media officers heading to the president’s hometown of Daura, near the border with Niger, to prepare for the Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday.

“The attackers opened fire on the convoy from ambush positions but were repelled by the military, police and security personnel accompanying the convoy,” the statement said.

The attack on the convoy highlights the ongoing security challenges the country is facing particularly in the northern regions where armed gangs are rife.

In a separate attack late on Wednesday, another set of unidentified gunmen raided a medium security prison in Kuje, near the capital Abuja, a spokesman for the correctional services said in a statement.

“Men of the armed squad of the Nigerian Correctional Service and other security agencies attached to the Custodial centre have responded and calm has been restored to the facility and the situation is under control,” the spokesman said.

(Reporting by Garba Muhammad and Ardo Hazzad; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)

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