Olusegun Ariyo
Armed bandits have blocked the Gusau-Funtua highway in Zamfara State, kidnapping an unspecified number of travelers in an early-morning attack on Thursday.
Eyewitnesses account indicates that the bandits, riding on about 50 motorcycles with three persons each, mounted a roadblock around the Tazame axis of the highway around 7:00 am, abducting commuters and taking them into the bush.
“We have been stuck here since morning, waiting for the military to clear the road,” said ibrahim Gusau, a commuter stranded near the area. “The bandits were still on the road until around 9 a.m., and we could hear gunfire as the military arrived.”
Another commuter confirmed that bandits had also blocked the Magazu-Kucheri Road, which links Gusau to Funtua.
“The military asked us to stop because the bandits blocked the road. We’re still waiting for them to clear it,” the source said.
The Zamfara State Police Command spokesperson, ASP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed that additional Police mobile units have been deployed to the area to assist the military in clearing the road and restoring order.
