In the early hours of Thursday, September 12, armed bandits obstructed the heavily trafficked Gusau–Funtua highway in Zamfara State, leading to the abduction of an undetermined number of travelers.
The incident took place near the Tazame area of the road. Eyewitnesses reported that the assailants, who arrived in large numbers, established a roadblock on the highway. The attackers were seen on approximately 50 motorcycles, each carrying three individuals. During the ambush, they seized several travelers, causing widespread panic and significant disruptions along the route.
“They entered the road around 7 am, and till around 9 am, they were still there, we just parked by the roadside waiting for the military to clear the road, we are seeing the bandits taking people inside the bush.
“The military guntruck moved to the area earlier, we were just hearing gunshots, but they are yet to open the road. Till now, no vehicle has been allowed to pass.”
Another commuter verified that the gunmen, known locally as Magazu, had also obstructed Kucheri Road, the crucial link between Gusau and Funtua.
“The military men asked us to stop because the bandits blocked the road, we are still waiting for them to clear the road,” the source said.
The Zamfara State Police Command spokesperson, ASP Yazid Abubakar, has confirmed the deployment of additional forces, including units from the Nigerian Police Mobile Squad, to secure and clear the blocked highway.
Zamfara, like several other states in Northwestern and Central Nigeria, is besieged by heavily armed gangs that conduct widespread kidnappings for ransom, along with arson and theft.
These gangs, commonly known as bandits, operate from extensive forest camps that stretch across Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states. Their criminal activities have recently expanded to include large-scale abductions of students, further intensifying the region’s security challenges.