At least eight security personnel, including policemen and community guards, have been killed in a deadly ambush by bandits along the Funtuwa–Gusau road in Zamfara State.
The attack, confirmed by security officials on Thursday, targeted a joint security team made up of police officers and members of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guard, popularly known as “Askarawa.”
According to local sources, the security convoy was on patrol when heavily armed gunmen opened fire, killing eight officers on the spot. Several others reportedly sustained injuries.
Governor Dauda Lawal confirmed the tragedy in a statement issued in Hausa and translated into English. He expressed deep sorrow over the killings and prayed for the victims’ families.
“Indeed, we belong to Allah and to Him we shall return,” the governor said.
“We received the news with great sadness that bandits ambushed and attacked a police convoy and our Community Protection Guard personnel on the Funtuwa–Gusau road, killing eight officers.”
Governor Lawal offered prayers for the deceased, saying, “May Allah have mercy on them and grant their families patience in this painful loss. We continue to pray for an end to the security challenges in Zamfara, the North, and Nigeria as a whole.”
The latest attack adds to the growing wave of insecurity plaguing the state, where armed groups frequently target security agents, worshippers, and civilians.
Earlier on Thursday, gunmen stormed a mosque in Maradawa, located in Gusau Local Government Area, abducting several worshippers during early morning prayers.
Eyewitnesses said the assailants arrived in large numbers, surrounded the mosque, and whisked away an unspecified number of people before fleeing into the forest.
The incident has triggered panic across the community as residents await information about the fate of the abducted victims. Security agencies are said to be working to secure their release.
Authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the mosque attack, but security patrols have reportedly been intensified across Gusau and nearby villages.
In a similar attack last month, on September 26, bandits invaded a mosque in Yandoto community, Tsafe Local Government Area, killing at least five worshippers and abducting several others.
The increasing attacks have fueled growing concern about the worsening state of insecurity in Zamfara, despite government efforts to combat banditry through military operations and community policing initiatives.
Residents are calling on the federal government and security agencies to take stronger action to restore peace in the region.