Construction Workers Attack: Bandits Kill Soldiers, Policemen In Zamfara

Bandits have attacked construction workers along the Funtua-Gusau highway in Zamfara State, killing seven people, including three soldiers and four policemen who were escorting some foreign engineers.

The unfortunate incident, which occurred at Yandoton-Tsafe, Tsafe local government area of Zamfara state, around 9 am, on Thursday, was the second deadly attack carried out by bandits within hours along the road.

The State Police Commissioner, Mohammed Dalijan confirmed the deadly attack on the Funtua-Gusau Highway, even as security insiders said the first attack took place at Kucheri village also in Tsafe Local Government Area when a gang of bandits blocked the ever-busy road and abducted scores of travellers.

According to information gathered from some locals, the two attacks, which occurred simultaneously around 9 am, may have been engineered and coordinated by a notorious bandits’ leader, Dan Yusuf, who is a younger brother to the famous kingpin, Ado Alliero.

It was further learnt that the bandits arrived at the area on motorbikes for the operation, saying, “they kept their motorbikes inside bush not far from the scene of the incident and ambushed some oncoming vehicles at a damaged portion of the road few meters away from Kucheri village.

“Drivers have to always slow down anytime they arrive at this portion of the road because of its situation. So, the bandits took advantage of this to strike. They attacked the vehicles and abducted an unspecified number of passengers today.”

Channels Television reported Police Commissioner Dalijan as saying that a joint security team of the Police and the Army were mobilized to the scene, but unfortunately, the bandits laid an ambush and opened fire on them.

The Police boss said the troops fought gallantly while repelling the attack, adding; “The bandits had wanted to enter Setraco camp to abduct some staff of Setraco company, we had the information, we sent our men not knowing that they had laid ambush on the road.

“As the team was going, they met heavy resistance from the bandits, they opened fire, they exchanged gunfire and in the process, we lost some army personnel and police personnel too. We lost three soldiers and four policemen”.

Also, a resident of Tsafe, Ibrahim Umar, said the attack that claimed the seven lives was launched on the construction sites on motorbikes by the bandits who opened fire on the innocent workers.

“The soldiers protecting the workers repelled the attack, but about seven people including the soldiers were said to have been killed during the encounter. It was also said that a foreign engineer was abducted by the bandits during the attack.

“To carry out the attack, the bandits kept their motorbikes inside a bush not far from the scene of the incident and ambushed some oncoming vehicles at a damaged portion of the road a few meters away from Kucheri village.

“At the bad portion of the road, drivers have to always slow down anytime because of its terrible state. So, the bandits always take advantage of this unfortunate situation to strike at will. On Thursday, they attacked the vehicles as usual and took away an unspecified number of passengers”.

Funtua-Gusau highway has become a death trap to many travelers and other road users, particularly the portion of the road of about 50 kilometers between Funtua and Tsafe which has been nicknamed ‘Israel’ by most commercial drivers plying the road.

Villages and towns in two local governments are part of the notorious ‘Israel’ which covers Sheme, Kanfanin Mai-Lafiya, Unguwar Boka, Yankara in Katsina state and Danwuri, Wanzamai, Kucheri, Unguwar-Chida, Magazu, Gidan-Giye, Tsafe in Zamfara state.

Residents of the areas confirmed that the bandits are repeatedly unleashing terror on the villages and towns within ‘Israel’ with Kamfanin-Mailafiya, Yankara, Magazu, Wanzamai, and Kucheri the worst hit.

They lamented that despite having additional military checkpoints mounted between Kamfanin-Mailafiya and Tsafe, the bandits have continued to intensify their heinous activities almost daily. – With Daily Trust report