Armed bandits have blocked the heavily trafficked Gusau–Funtua highway, kidnapping an unknown number of travelers.
Yusuf Tsafe, a commuter who remains stranded in the area, informed Channels Television that the bandits attacked the highway early Thursday morning, setting up a roadblock around the Tazame section of the road.
He reported that the bandits, who were heavily armed and arrived on approximately 50 motorcycles with three individuals on each, abducted an unspecified number of travelers.
“They entered the road around 7 am, and till around 9am, 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 also confirmed to Channels Television that Magazu – Kucheri Road which is also the road linking Gusau to Funtua have been blocked by bandits this morning
“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.
When reached for comment, ASP Yazid Abubakar, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, confirmed that additional troops, including operatives from the Nigerian Police Mobile Squad, have been dispatched to the affected areas to clear the road.
Zamfara is among several states in northwestern and central Nigeria plagued by heavily armed gangs that engage in mass abductions for ransom and commit acts of arson and looting.
These gangs, which operate from extensive forest camps across Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states, have also been involved in large-scale kidnappings of school pupils in recent years.
Recently, bandit attacks have intensified, particularly in Katsina and Zamfara states. Last month, gangs attacked four villages in Katsina’s Sabuwa district, killing 25 people, mostly local vigilantes, in what appears to be retaliation for military operations against their hideouts, according to a local official.
While these bandits are primarily motivated by financial gain and lack any ideological affiliation, there are growing concerns about their increasing collaboration with jihadists involved in a 15-year armed conflict in the northeast.