It was a difficult time for road users on the ever-busy Gusau-Funtua highway on Saturday, as armed bandits blocked abducted an unspecified number of travellers.
According to reports, the bandits blocked the highway between Kucheri and Magazu communities in Tsafe Local Government Area of the state, shooting at moving vehicles.
The spokesperson of the Zamfara State Police Command, ASP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the incident to Channels Television.
Abubakar stated that an unspecified number of travellers were abducted during the attack. He added that the police and other security agencies are currently on joint rescue operations in order to rescue the abducted victims.
He said, “The incident happened this afternoon. The bandits blocked the road and started shooting at the commuters. They kidnapped some of them.”
“The Command in collaboration with other security agencies are working hand in hand to make sure the kidnapped victims are rescued.”
The spokesperson, however, denied the report that five mobile policemen were abducted during a shootout with the bandits.
He, however, confirmed that armed bandits recently carried out series of attacks along the highway.
Recall that Zamfara State is one of several States in Northwestern and Central Nigeria the throngs of by heavily armed bandits. These criminals carry out mass abductions for ransom as well as burning and looting homes.
The bandits also maintain camps in a huge forest straddling Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states. They use the advantage of the terrain to undertake large-scale kidnappings of travllers and school pupils in the area.
Recall that in September, the bandits raided four villages in Sabuwa district of Katsina State. They killed 25 people, mostly local vigilantes. That was apparent a reprisal over military offensives on their hideouts, according to a local official.
source: Channels TV
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