Five policemen have been killed and one declared missing after armed bandits ambushed a police patrol team on Thursday in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
A resident of Tsafe, who spoke to Channels Television on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the police team was on its routine patrol when the armed bandits suddenly opened fire.
According to the source, security operatives later recovered the bodies of five officers from the scene, while one policeman remains missing as search operations continue in the area.
The remains of the fallen officers were taken to Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital in Gusau, the state capital.
Confirming the incident in a telephone conversation with Channels Television, the spokesperson of the Zamfara State Police Command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said the attack took place along the Tsafe–Funtua highway during a routine patrol.
He added that the Command had deployed additional reinforcements to the area, while a search-and-rescue operation is underway to locate the missing officer and apprehend the assailants.
Governor Lawal Mourns
Governor Dauda Lawal of Zamfara State expressed deep sorrow over the killing of security personnel in the ambush.
In a statement on his verified Facebook page, the governor confirmed that eight security operatives, including five policemen, were killed in the attack along the Funtua–Gusau Road.
“I received a distressing report of an ambush by bandits on police officers and soldiers travelling from Funtua to Gusau, during which eight officers were killed,” the governor said.
He extended his condolences to the families of the deceased officers, praying for the repose of their souls and comfort for their loved ones.
“May Allah have mercy on them and grant their families patience to bear this loss. We pray for an end to insecurity in Zamfara State, the North, and Nigeria as a whole,” he added.