Eight security operatives, including five policemen and three members of the Community Protection Guards, have been killed by bandits during a patrol along the Gusau–Funtua Road in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The incident occurred on Thursday evening near Gidan-Giye village, a few kilometres from Tsafe town, when the patrol team ran into an ambush laid by armed men.
An eyewitness, Ya’u Musa, an indigene of the area, told The PUNCH that the bandits, who had been hiding in the bush, opened fire on the patrol vehicle, killing all eight officers instantly.
“The affected security personnel were attached to the Government House in Gusau and had been deployed on a special operation to protect travellers along the Gusau–Funtua Road, which has witnessed repeated attacks,” Musa said.
He added that moments after the team left Tsafe town, gunshots were heard around Gidan-Giye, and the bandits struck, firing repeatedly before fleeing into the forest on motorcycles.
“The gunmen disappeared into the bush, leaving the bodies of the policemen and guards behind,” he said.
The remains of the deceased have reportedly been taken to the Federal Medical Centre in Gusau.
Reacting to the attack, Governor Dauda Lawal expressed deep sorrow over the deaths and commiserated with the families of the slain officers.
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In a statement shared on his official Facebook page, the governor wrote:
“To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. I just received the sad news of the death of eight security personnel—policemen and Community Protection Guards—who were ambushed and killed by bandits along the Gusau–Funtua Road.
May Allah forgive them and grant their families the fortitude to bear this loss. We continue to pray for an end to the insecurity plaguing Zamfara State, the North, and Nigeria as a whole.”
Thursday’s attack adds to a series of violent incidents recorded in Zamfara in recent weeks, as bandit groups continue to target security operatives and commuters in the state.