Police, Military Kill Seventeen Bandits After Highway Attack in Zamfara

The Zamfara State Police Command said it's operatives have killed seventeen bandits following a swift operational response along the Gusau-Funtua Federal Highway. 

The Police Public Relations Officer for the command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, disclosed this in a statement issued regarding the incident.

Yazid noted that the attack occurred when a large group of heavily armed bandits blocked the highway near Unguwar Chida Village in Tsafe Local Government Area and opened fire on motorists. The hoodlums intercepted two commercial vehicles, including a Sharon vehicle and a Sokoto State Transport Authority bus, which were conveying passengers to various destinations.

He explained that during the unfortunate incident, the driver of the Sharon vehicle and seven passengers were shot dead, while nine other individuals sustained varying degrees of gunshot injuries. The attackers also abducted eight passengers and took them to an undisclosed location.

According to him, upon receiving a distress report, the Divisional Police Officer in Tsafe mobilized a tactical response team to the scene. The security operatives evacuated the deceased and injured victims to the General Hospital in Tsafe for necessary medical attention and mortuary processing.

DSP Yazid Abubakar said the same group of bandits later attacked Magazu Village, where a 35-year-old resident was struck by a stray bullet and subsequently rushed to the hospital for treatment. Following this, combined police and military operatives trailed the fleeing criminals to the Funtua-Gusau Highway as they attempted to loot a food truck.

However he added that security forces engaged the hoodlums in a fierce gun battle, resulting in the elimination of seventeen bandits and the flight of several others with gunshot wounds. Joint patrols have now been deployed along the highway to restore normalcy, while rescue operations continue for the abducted passengers.