The Zamfara State Police Command has successfully thwarted a bandit attack on the Gusau-Funtua Federal Highway, rescuing nine individuals who were targeted by armed criminals. This incident occurred on August 28, 2026, in the Tsafe Local Government Area, according to a statement from the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar.

The police received urgent reports of heavy gunfire in the Kwanoni-Gidan Giye area of the highway. Investigations revealed that the heavily armed bandits had intercepted two vehicles. One was a Sharon mini-bus, registered as KWL 742 ZY, which was transporting seven passengers from Gusau to Zaria. The other vehicle, an unregistered bus, was driven by Haruna Alhaji Nasiru, who was transporting his son and dry cassava from Sokoto to Funtua.

Upon receiving the distress call, the Divisional Police Officer of Tsafe, along with operatives from the Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU) and military personnel from Operation Fansan Yamma (OPFY), promptly mobilized to the scene. Engaging the bandits in a fierce gun battle, the security forces were able to force the criminals to retreat towards the mountainous outskirts of Tsafe town. It is believed that some of the bandits sustained injuries during the confrontation.

All nine individuals from the two vehicles were successfully rescued without harm, as confirmed by the police statement.

In a related operation later that day, VCRU operatives arrested a 50-year-old suspect named Khalid Umar, who was found along the Funtua-Tsafe Federal Highway. He was allegedly transporting 11 locally fabricated AK-47 rifles from Shuwaki village in Katsina State to Bawa Ganga in Tsafe Local Government Area. The firearms have been secured for further investigation, which aims to uncover the source of the weapons and their intended recipients.

The Zamfara State Police Command has reassured residents and travelers of their commitment to ensuring safety and security across the state. They emphasized that joint patrols and intelligence-led operations will continue along major highways and other vulnerable areas to deter criminal activities and protect lives and property.