Armed bandits have blocked the Gusau–Funtua highway, abducting an unspecified number of travellers. Yusuf Tsafe, a stranded commuter, told Channels Television that the bandits launched the attack in the early hours of Thursday, mounting a roadblock around the Tazame axis of the highway.
According to Tsafe, the bandits, numbering in the dozens and riding on about 50 motorcycles—each carrying three people—abducted a significant number of commuters.
“They appeared on the road around 7 a.m., and as of 9 a.m., they were still there. We have parked by the roadside, waiting for the military to clear the road. We can see the bandits leading people into the bush. A military gun truck arrived earlier, and we heard gunfire, but the road hadn’t been opened yet. No vehicles are being allowed to pass,” Tsafe reported.
Another commuter confirmed to Channels Television that the Magazu–Kucheri road, which connects Gusau to Funtua, was also blocked by bandits earlier in the morning.
“The military instructed us to stop because the bandits had blocked the road, and we are still waiting for them to clear it,” the source said.
When contacted, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command, ASP Yazid Abubakar, said additional troops, including operatives from the Nigerian Police Mobile Squad, had been deployed to the affected areas to clear the road.
Zamfara State, like several states in northwestern and central Nigeria, has been terrorized by heavily armed gangs. These groups carry out mass abductions for ransom, loot and burn homes, and maintain camps in forests that span Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states. In recent years, the gangs have also been involved in large-scale kidnappings of school children.
Recently, these bandits have intensified their attacks, particularly in Katsina and Zamfara states. Last month, gangs attacked four villages in Katsina State’s Sabuwa district, killing 25 people, mostly local vigilantes, in apparent retaliation for military offensives targeting their hideouts.
Although the bandits are primarily motivated by financial gain and lack any clear ideological leanings, analysts and officials have raised concerns about their increasing alliance with jihadist groups engaged in a 15-year insurgency in northeastern Nigeria.
