Bandits have launched a deadly attack on construction workers along the Funtua-Gusau highway in Zamfara State, resulting in the deaths of seven individuals, including three soldiers who were escorting foreign engineers. The assault took place at Yandoton-Tsafe in the Tsafe local government area around 9 a.m. on Thursday.
This incident marks the second attack by bandits on the same road within a few hours. Earlier in the day, another group of armed bandits had blocked the highway at Kucheri village, also in Tsafe local government, and abducted several travelers.
Local sources suggest that both attacks were carried out by a notorious bandit leader named Dan Yusuf, the younger sibling of the infamous Ado Alliero. Yunusa Isa, a resident of Kucheri (a pseudonym), reported that the bandits arrived on motorbikes, concealed their vehicles in the bushes near the scene, and ambushed oncoming traffic at a damaged section of the road close to Kucheri village. Drivers typically slow down at this spot due to the road’s condition, which the bandits exploited for their attack and abductions.
In a separate assault, Ibrahim Umar, a resident of Tsafe, said that the bandits targeted construction workers at Yandoton-Tsafe. The attackers, also on motorbikes, opened fire on the workers, killing seven people, including the three soldiers. It was also reported that a foreign engineer was abducted during this attack.
The Funtua-Gusau highway has become notorious for such violence, with a particularly dangerous 50-kilometer stretch between Funtua and Tsafe being labeled “Israel” by local drivers. This area encompasses several villages and towns, including Sheme, Kanfanin Mai-Lafiya, Unguwar Boka, and Yankara in Katsina State, and Danwuri, Wanzamai, Kucheri, Unguwar-Chida, Magazu, and Gidan-Giye in Zamfara State.
Despite the installation of additional military checkpoints along the highway, particularly between Kamfanin-Mailafiya and Tsafe, bandits continue their attacks almost daily, terrorizing local communities.
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