At least eight members of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards (CPG), also known as Askarawa, and a commercial driver have been killed by bandits in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Multiple sources confirmed that the bandits attacked the CPG personnel at a joint security post, located just a few metres from Tsafe town. The attack took place while the guards were on duty, in an area that had previously witnessed similar violence. Earlier this year, six policemen were killed at the same location in a separate incident.
Eyewitnesses reported that the ambush occurred around 8 a.m., with the bandits swiftly killing eight CPG personnel. The remains of the victims were taken to Tsafe General Hospital and later handed over to their families for burial in accordance with Islamic rites.
In a related attack, bandits engaged soldiers in a gunfight at Unguwar Chida village, located near Magazu on the Funtua-Gusau road. A commercial driver was killed, and three soldiers were injured during the confrontation.
Local sources reported that the two attacks happened almost simultaneously. “A commercial driver was found dead after the bandits opened fire on the soldiers,” a resident explained. The driver’s body was later laid to rest in Tsafe town around 4 p.m.
Confirming the incidents, the Commander General of the CPG, General Lawal B. Muhammad (rtd), expressed his dismay over the loss of his men. He revealed that he had deployed 105 CPG personnel to the area in response to the increasing bandit activities targeting travellers.
“Unfortunately, the bandits ambushed my men. I suspect they may have been hiding there overnight. As soon as my team arrived and began disembarking from their patrol van, the bandits opened fire,” General Muhammad stated.
He also confirmed that three soldiers were injured during the second attack at Unguwar Chida, with one sustaining a severe injury to his jaw and currently receiving treatment at Yariman Bakura General Hospital in Gusau.
The Zamfara State government and security agencies have been grappling with escalating violence in the region, as banditry continues to pose a significant threat to the safety of local communities.
