The police command said normalcy had since been restored to the area, with reinforcements deployed to maintain peace and ensure the safety of travellers along the busy highway.
The Zamfara State Police Command has confirmed the death of five of its officers following a fierce gun duel with armed bandits along the Gusau–Funtua Federal Highway on Thursday.
In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, the incident occurred around 1:00 p.m. when a patrol team led by ASP John Dogara was ambushed near Gidan Giye village in Tsafe Local Government Area.
According to the statement, the officers, attached to the Operations Department, responded, engaging the assailants in a heavy exchange of gunfire. Several of the bandits were reportedly neutralised, while others escaped with gunshot wounds.
“Tragically, five gallant police officers paid the supreme price in the line of duty,” the statement read.
The police command said normalcy had since been restored to the area, with reinforcements deployed to maintain peace and ensure the safety of travellers along the busy highway.
The Commissioner of Police, CP IB Maikaba, commended the bravery and sacrifice of the fallen officers and reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to sustaining the fight against banditry and other forms of criminality in the state.
On Thursday evening, SaharaReporters reported that bandits had killed eight security personnel, comprising policemen and members of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guard (CPG), popularly known as ‘Askarawa’ in Zamfara State.
A security official confirmed the development to SaharaReporters on Thursday.
The Governor of Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, also confirmed the incident in a statement issued in Hausa, which translates to English as follows: “Indeed, we belong to Allah and to Him, we shall return. 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.
“May Allah have mercy on them and grant their families and loved ones patience in this loss.
“We pray to Allah to bring an end to this security problem in Zamfara State, the North, and Nigeria as a whole.”
SaharaReporters earlier reported that bandits on Thursday morning stormed a mosque in Maradawa, Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State, abducting several worshippers during the early morning Subhi prayers.
Witnesses said the assailants, who arrived in large numbers, surrounded the mosque and whisked away an unspecified number of people before fleeing into the nearby forest.
The attack has thrown the community into panic, with residents anxiously awaiting updates on the fate of the abducted worshippers.
In a similar incident, on September 26, 2025, bandits stormed a mosque in Yandoto community, Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing at least five worshippers and abducting several others.
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