A patrol team deployed from Gusau to enhance security along a corridor in Gidan-Giye village, an area plagued by frequent ambushes on motorists and traders, was killed by gunmen believed to be bandits.
The joint security team, consisting of five police personnel and three Community Protection Guards (CPGs), was on a routine patrol along the Gusau–Funtua highway in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara, a route notorious for bandit raids and abductions, when they were attacked.
It was learned that the police officers were part of a six-man patrol team led by Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) John Dogara.
Dogara and four other police officers were confirmed dead, while one inspector, identified as Ibrahim Ahmed, remains missing.
Witnesses said the assailants, who reportedly came in large numbers, caught the operatives completely off guard, overpowering them before they could retaliate.
“The bandits suddenly appeared from the forest and opened fire on their vehicle. All the security men inside were killed instantly,” an eyewitness, Ya’u Musa, told reporters on Friday.
Following the incident, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Tsafe mobilised reinforcements to the area, while the Zamfara State Police Command ordered additional deployments to prevent further attacks.
Items recovered from the scene included one riot gun, a loaded AK-47 magazine containing 11 rounds of ammunition, and three cartridges.
The bodies of the deceased officers were transported to the Ahmed Sani Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital in Gusau for post-mortem examination.
Security agencies have since launched a manhunt for the perpetrators, who are believed to have fled into the surrounding forests on motorcycles.
Search operations are also ongoing to locate the missing officer and recover any stolen weapons.
Meanwhile, Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has commiserated with the families of the deceased, describing the killings as a “painful and heartbreaking loss” for both the state and the nation.
“To Allah we belong and to Him we shall return. I have received a distressing report of the attack that claimed the lives of our police officers and Askarawa on the Gusau–Funtua road,” the governor said.
“May Allah rest their souls and grant their families the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss. We continue to pray for lasting peace in Zamfara, the North, and Nigeria.”
