Zamfara Police Foil Bandits’ Attack , Rescue Nine, Recover 11 Rifles
Police operatives and other security forces have foiled an attack by armed bandits along the Gusau-Funtua Federal Highway in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, rescuing nine travellers and recovering 11 locally fabricated AK-47 rifles in separate operations.
The Zamfara State Police Command disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, August 29, 2026, by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar.
According to the Command, the highway attack occurred at about 1:20 p.m. on Friday, August 28, around the Kwanoni-Gidan Giye axis of the road, after the Tsafe Divisional Police Headquarters received reports of heavy gunshots in the area.
Preliminary investigations showed that heavily armed bandits had intercepted and attacked two vehicles.
One of the vehicles was a Sharon mini-bus, registration number KWL 742 ZY, driven by Lawal Dauda of Zaria Local Government Area, Kaduna State, which was conveying seven passengers from Gusau to Zaria.
The second vehicle, which was unregistered, was driven by Haruna Alhaji Nasiru of Danja Local Government Area, Katsina State. He was travelling with his son, Sanusi Haruna, while transporting dry cassava from Sokoto to Funtua, Katsina State.
Following the distress report, the Divisional Police Officer in Tsafe, alongside operatives of the Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU) and military personnel operating under Operation FANSAN YAMMA, mobilised to the location and engaged the bandits in a gun battle.
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The security forces’ response reportedly forced the attackers to abandon the assault and retreat towards the mountainous outskirts of Tsafe town. Some of the bandits were believed to have sustained gunshot wounds during the encounter.
All nine occupants of the two vehicles were subsequently rescued unharmed.
In a separate operation later the same day, at about 5:30 p.m., VCRU operatives acting on credible intelligence arrested a 50-year-old suspect, identified as Khalid Umar, from Bawa Ganga Village in Tsafe LGA.
The suspect was intercepted along the Funtua-Tsafe Federal Highway while allegedly transporting 11 locally fabricated AK-47 rifles.
Preliminary investigation indicated that Umar was allegedly moving the firearms from Shuwaki Village in Bakori LGA of Katsina State to Bawa Ganga in Tsafe LGA, Zamfara State.
The suspect remains in police custody, while the recovered firearms have been secured for further investigation.
The police said investigators would seek to establish the source of the weapons, their intended recipients and other individuals who may be connected with their procurement and movement.
The Command assured residents and motorists that it would continue working with other security agencies to protect lives and property and deny criminal elements freedom of action across the state.
It added that sustained joint patrols and intelligence-led operations would continue along major highways and other vulnerable locations to enhance the safety of travellers and motorists.
By PRNigeria
