Six individuals, including women and children, lost their lives on Thursday evening when suspected bandits ambushed a commercial bus along the Kucheri-Wanzamai road in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The incident, which occurred around 7 p.m., also resulted in the abduction of several passengers.
Sources revealed the attack took place shortly after the daily road closure—a security measure recently introduced by the Zamfara State Government to curb recurring highway attacks by bandits.
According to reports, the 18-seater commercial bus had encountered a mechanical issue shortly after passing a military checkpoint.
After the driver managed to repair the fault and resumed the journey, he noticed multiple motorcycles tailing the bus.
“They suddenly opened fire on the bus. Out of fear, the driver lost control, causing the vehicle to veer off the road, somersault, and burst into flames,” a source said.
Six people were confirmed dead—some from gunshot wounds, others from burns after the vehicle caught fire.
A security source confirmed that Nigerian Army troops stationed between Maraban Kyaware and Wanzamai responded swiftly upon hearing gunshots, engaging the assailants in a firefight and forcing them to flee.
“The soldiers rescued 21 passengers and evacuated the injured to the General Hospital Tsafe,” the source added.