Armed Bandits Block Gusau-Funtua Highway in Zamfara, Kidnap Several Travellers

Armed bandits, in the early hours of Thursday, launched a deadly attack along the Gusau-Funtua highway, abducting an unspecified number of travellers, authorities confirmed.

The attack, which occurred along the Tazame axis of Zamfara State, left commuters in panic as the assailants blocked the road, halting the movement of vehicles.

Witnesses said the armed men, arriving on 50 motorcycles with three people on each, used the blockade to trap and kidnap their victims.

“The bandits stopped all vehicles from crossing the highway. It was terrifying,” a survivor recounted to Channels Television.

The Gusau-Funtua highway serves as a critical route linking Zamfara and Katsina States, making it a target for frequent attacks by bandits who have terrorised the region for years.

The spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, ASP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the incident, stating that security operatives are working to rescue the victims.

However, the exact number of those abducted remains unknown as of the time of filing this report.

This latest attack has added to the growing concerns over the worsening insecurity in northern Nigeria, where banditry and kidnappings have become rampant, threatening the safety of residents and travellers alike.

It will be recalled that just recently, the former vice president Atiku Abubakar called out President Tinubu to focus the nation’s security apparatus on tackling the growing menace of terrorists and bandits rather than targeting civil society groups and the media.

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