Zamfara State witnessed a violent attack on Sunday as bandits shot retired General Lawal B. Muhammad, the Director General of the state’s Community Protection Guards (CPG), during an assault on motorists near Kucheri village in Tsafe Local Government Area. The retired general was on the busy Funtua-Tsafe road when the incident occurred.
The attackers reportedly blocked the road, targeting vehicles and travelers. Eyewitnesses revealed that several passengers were abducted during the attack. A source from the Zamfara State Ministry of Internal Security, speaking anonymously, confirmed that General Muhammad was shot and is now receiving medical treatment at Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital in Gusau, the state capital. “It is confirmed that the bandits shot the DG Community Protection Guards, and he is currently receiving treatment,” the source said.
The attack on General Muhammad and other travelers comes shortly after a deadly encounter between bandits and the CPG in the same area. Just days before, bandits killed at least eight CPG personnel and a commercial driver in Tsafe Local Government Area. The CPG personnel, deployed to protect the area, were ambushed by the armed attackers. One witness described how the bandits appeared to have strategically positioned themselves, surprising the CPG forces. “I suspect that the bandits slept there because my boys used to go there early in the morning,” General Muhammad said about the recent ambush. “So, while my boys were about to come down from their patrol van, the bandits opened fire and killed some of them on the spot. It is quite unfortunate.”
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In addition to the ambush, the bandits engaged in a gunfight with soldiers in Unguwar Chida, a nearby village, leading to the death of a commercial driver and injuries to three soldiers. The two incidents occurred almost simultaneously, according to residents of Unguwar Chida, adding to the fear and insecurity in the area.
Zamfara State, located in the North-West region of Nigeria, has struggled with persistent banditry despite efforts by the government to curb the violence. The recent attack on the CPG’s director and the loss of personnel have heightened concerns among residents about the continued threat posed by bandits in the region. As the authorities work to address the security challenges, many are calling for more effective measures to protect communities and travelers along the region’s roads.
The police and security forces have launched operations to pursue the assailants and ensure the safe return of the kidnapped victims. However, the attacks have deepened the sense of insecurity in a state that has already suffered heavily from the activities of bandits.