Bandits Strike Again, Block Gusau-Funtua Highway and Kidnap Travellers in Zamfara

Bandits have once again blocked the Gusau-Funtua highway in Zamfara, abducting several travellers, raising further concerns over escalating insecurity in the region.

On Saturday, armed bandits obstructed the bustling Gusau-Funtua highway and kidnapped an unknown number of travelers.

The highway connecting the Kucheri and Magazu communities in Tsafe Local Government Area was obstructed by bandits, who opened fire on passing vehicles.

ASP Yazid Abubakar, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, confirmed the incident to Channels Television during a phone interview.

He reported that an unknown number of travelers were kidnapped during the attack and mentioned that police and other security agencies are currently conducting joint operations to rescue the victims.

“The incident occurred this afternoon when the bandits obstructed the road, opened fire on commuters, and abducted some of them,” Abubakar reported.

The command, in partnership with other security agencies, is working together to ensure the rescue of the kidnapped victims.

However, Abubakar refuted the report claiming that five mobile policemen were abducted during a shootout with bandits.

Recently, a string of attacks has been carried out by armed bandits along the highway.

Zamfara is among several states in northwestern and central Nigeria plagued by heavily armed gangs, who engage in mass abductions for ransom and are responsible for burning and looting homes.

The gangs, whose camps are located in a vast forest spanning the states of Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger, have also carried out large-scale kidnappings of students from schools over recent years.

Recently, bandits have intensified their attacks, especially in the states of Katsina and Zamfara.

According to a local official, gangs carried out raids on four villages in Katsina state’s Sabuwa district last month, resulting in the deaths of 25 people, mostly local vigilantes. These attacks appear to have been reprisals against military offensives targeting their hideouts.

Bandits lack any ideological affiliation and are driven by the pursuit of financial gain. However, analysts and officials have voiced concerns about their growing collaboration with jihadists engaged in a 15-year armed rebellion in the northeast.