Eight Travellers Killed, Eight Abducted in Zamfara Attack

On 25 August 2026, at approximately 4:05 PM, gunmen attacked two commercial vehicles on the Gusau–Funtua Federal Highway in Tsafe Local Government Area, Zamfara State, resulting in the deaths of eight travellers and the abduction of eight others. DSP Yazid Abubakar, spokesperson for the state Police Command, confirmed that the attack involved heavily armed bandits who opened fire on motorists.

One vehicle was an unregistered Sharon driven by Halilu Namadi, who was killed during the attack, causing the vehicle to lose control. Six passengers in the Sharon were also fatally shot.

The second vehicle was a Sokoto State Transport Authority bus, driven by Sanusi Musa, which had 18 passengers; one male passenger was killed, and nine others were injured. The police responded swiftly, leading to the death of 17 bandits during an exchange of fire.

The injured were taken to the General Hospital, Tsafe, while the deceased were deposited at the mortuary. A subsequent attack occurred at Magazu Village the same day, injuring one person.