Bandits launched a violent assault on construction workers along the Funtua-Gusau highway in Zamfara State, resulting in the deaths of seven individuals, including three soldiers who were escorting foreign engineers.
The attack occurred around 9 a.m. on Thursday at Yandoton-Tsafe, within Tsafe local government area of Zamfara State.
This marks the second attack by bandits along the highway in a matter of hours, as reported by Daily Trust.
The first assault took place in Kucheri village, also in Tsafe local government, where an armed gang blocked the busy highway and abducted numerous travelers.
Local sources informed Daily Trust that these two simultaneous attacks were attributed to a notorious bandit leader, Dan Yusuf, the younger brother of the infamous kingpin Ado Alliero.
A resident of Kucheri, who requested anonymity as Yunusa Isa, reported that the bandits arrived on motorbikes, saying, “They hid their bikes in the bushes near the scene and ambushed oncoming vehicles at a damaged stretch of the road just a few meters from Kucheri village.
“Drivers must slow down at this spot due to its poor condition, which the bandits exploited. They attacked the vehicles and abducted an unspecified number of passengers today.”
Another local, Ibrahim Umar from Tsafe, recounted that the second attack targeted construction workers at Yandoton Tsafe, leaving about seven people dead, including three military escorts.
He explained that the bandits stormed the construction site on motorbikes, opening fire on defenseless workers.
“The soldiers assigned to protect the workers fought back, but tragically, several lives were lost, including those of the soldiers. It was also reported that a foreign engineer was abducted during the assault.”
The Funtua-Gusau highway has transformed into a perilous corridor for many travelers and road users.
Drivers refer to a treacherous 50-kilometer stretch of this road between Funtua and Tsafe as ‘Israel’.
This stretch, known fondly as ‘Israel’ by many commercial drivers, encompasses several villages and towns in both local governments.
These villages include Sheme, Kanfanin Mai-Lafiya, Unguwar Boka, and Yankara in Katsina State, as well as Danwuri, Wanzamai, Kucheri, Unguwar-Chida, Magazu, Gidan-Giye, and Tsafe in Zamfara State.
Reports indicate that bandits have been sowing fear among residents of villages and towns near this ‘Israel’ region, with Kamfanin-Mailafiya, Yankara, Magazu, Wanzamai, and Kucheri being particularly hard-hit.
Despite the establishment of additional military checkpoints specifically between Kamfanin-Mailafiya and Tsafe, banditry persists, with these criminals continuing their heinous activities virtually every day.
