JUST IN: Bandits Kidnap Unspecified Number of Travellers on Gusau-Funtua Highway

Armed bandits have disrupted travel along the Gusau–Funtua highway in Zamfara State, abducting an unknown number of travelers in a brazen attack on Thursday.

According to reports from Channels Television, the bandits, heavily armed and riding in a convoy of around 50 motorcycles, set up a roadblock at the Tazame axis of the highway early in the morning. Each motorcycle carried three individuals, and they operated openly for several hours, seizing travelers and forcing them into the surrounding bush.

Yusuf Tsafe, a stranded commuter at the scene, recounted that the bandits commenced their operations at approximately 7:00 a.m. and remained on the road until at least 9:00 a.m. Despite the arrival of military forces, the highway remains blocked, with no vehicles able to pass through.

“We have been parked by the roadside for hours, waiting for the military to clear the road. The bandits were still visible, taking people into the bush,” Tsafe said.

Another commuter confirmed that the Magazu–Kucheri Road, which links Gusau to Funtua, has also been blocked by the bandits.

“We were told to stop because the bandits had blocked the road. We’re still waiting for the military to reopen the route,” the traveler explained.

In response, the Zamfara State Police Command spokesperson, ASP Yazid Abubakar, announced that additional security forces, including operatives from the Nigerian Police Mobile Squad, have been deployed to secure the area and restore normalcy.

Zamfara, along with other northwestern and central Nigerian states, has been severely impacted by banditry, with armed gangs carrying out mass abductions for ransom, looting villages, and spreading terror across the region.

In a separate development, residents of Moriki in Zurmi Local Government Area are gripped with fear, as a notorious bandit leader, Bello Turji, has imposed a N30 million levy on the community. The deadline for payment has now expired.

Reacting to the threat, Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, dismissed Turji as “deranged” and vowed that the military would soon apprehend him.

Zamfara has been plagued by frequent violent attacks. In April, at least three people were killed during a bandit raid on a market in Tsafe town. A month later, bandits assaulted no fewer than 50 communities in Zurmi Local Government Area, leaving a trail of devastation.

The ongoing crisis has left many in the region living in fear, as authorities grapple with restoring peace and security.