Police operatives and military troops have killed 17 bandits during a gun battle in Zamfara State following an attack on motorists along the Gusau–Funtua Federal Highway.
The attack occurred at about 4:05pm on Monday near Unguwar Chida Village in Tsafe Local Government Area, where the bandits opened fire on two vehicles, killing two passengers and injuring nine others.
The attackers also abducted eight passengers during the incident before fleeing into the bush.
One of the vehicles was an unregistered Sharon car driven by Halilu Namadi, who was travelling from Sokoto to Gwagwalada in the Federal Capital Territory.
Namadi was killed after the vehicle came under attack and later somersaulted, killing six passengers — four men and two women.
The second vehicle, a Sokoto State Transport Authority bus carrying 18 passengers to Kaduna and Abuja, also came under fire.
One passenger was killed, while nine others sustained gunshot wounds. The remaining eight passengers were abducted and taken into the bush.
Following a distress call, police and military personnel arrived at the scene and launched a counter-operation against the attackers.
The security personnel tracked the fleeing bandits to another section of the Gusau–Funtua Highway, where the attackers attempted to attack a trailer loaded with food items.
According to police Public Relations Officer, Yazid Abubakar, on Wednesday, the bandits tried to escape after noticing the advancing security personnel but were engaged in a gun battle.
The police said 17 bandits were killed during the encounter, while several others escaped with gunshot wounds.
Abubakar said security operatives had continued search-and-rescue efforts to locate the eight passengers abducted during the highway attack.
According to the Zamfara State Police Command, the Tsafe Divisional Police Officer mobilised the Violence Crime Response Unit to evacuate the injured victims, while the bodies of those killed were taken to a mortuary.
The Commissioner of Police has ordered personnel to intensify clearance operations around known bandit routes and hideouts across the affected areas.
The command added that joint patrols involving the police, military, Community Protection Guards, hunters and local vigilantes had been deployed along the highway and other vulnerable locations.
The police said the situation in the affected communities was under control and urged residents and motorists to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements to security authorities.