Police Foil Bandits’ Attack on Gusau-Funtua Highway, Rescue Nine

The Zamfara State Police Command has foiled an attempted bandit attack on the Gusau-Funtua Federal Highway in Tsafe Local Government Area and rescued nine people who were intercepted by the criminals.

The police also recovered 11 locally fabricated AK-47 rifles in a separate operation along the same highway.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, the incidents occurred on August 28, 2026, after the Tsafe Divisional Police Headquarters received reports of heavy gunshots around the Kwanoni-Gidan Giye axis.

Police investigations revealed that heavily armed bandits had intercepted two vehicles. One was a Sharon mini-bus carrying seven passengers travelling from Gusau to Zaria, while the second was an unregistered vehicle transporting dry cassava from Sokoto to Funtua.

Following the distress call, the Tsafe Divisional Police Officer, members of the Violence Crime Response Unit and military personnel under Operation Fansan Yamma were deployed to the area.

The security forces engaged the bandits in a gun battle, forcing them to abandon the attack and flee towards the mountainous outskirts of Tsafe. Some of the criminals were reportedly injured.

All nine occupants of the two vehicles were rescued unharmed.

In a separate operation later that day, at about 5:30pm, VCRU operatives arrested a 50-year-old man, Khalid Umar, along the Funtua-Tsafe Federal Highway.

Police said Umar was allegedly transporting 11 locally fabricated AK-47 rifles from Shuwaki village in Bakori Local Government Area of Katsina State to Bawa Ganga in Tsafe LGA of Zamfara State.

The suspect remains in police custody while investigations continue to determine the source of the weapons, their intended recipients and others who may be connected to their movement.

The police assured residents and motorists that security agencies would continue joint patrols and intelligence-led operations along major highways and other vulnerable locations across Zamfara State.

• Tweet
• Share
• Share
• Share
• Share