By Amofokhai Williams
Armed bandits on Wednesday launched a deadly coordinated attack in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State, killing at least nine security operatives.
Those killed included six Mobile Police (MOPOL) officers and three local vigilantes, in what authorities described as one of the most brutal ambushes in recent months.
According to reports obtained by security analyst Zagazola Makama, the first attack occurred in the early hours of Wednesday when members of the Askarawa and Yan Maiduguri community security outfits were ambushed on their way to Sungawa village for a rescue mission.
A fierce gun battle ensued after the vigilantes ran into a waiting bandit group, resulting in the deaths of three local operatives.
The slain men were identified as Sani Lawali (popularly known as Danjinjiri), Garba Sarkin Arna, both from the Askarawa group, and Umar Mustapha of the Yan Maiduguri team.
Another operative, Umar Usman, also of the Yan Maiduguri group, was declared missing following the encounter, with search efforts ongoing to determine his whereabouts.
Sources said the Yan Maiduguri group had recently been recruited by the Executive Chairman of Tsafe Local Government Council, Hon. Garba Shehu Fancher, to work alongside the Askarawa team in strengthening community-based security against repeated bandit incursions in the area.
In a related development, another team of Mobile Police officers came under heavy attack near Mulasa Poultry Farm, close to Gidan Giye, about one kilometre from Tsafe town.
Reports indicate that eight Mopol officers were ambushed by heavily armed bandits. Six officers were killed instantly, while two others sustained serious injuries and were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Troops of Operation FANSAN YANMA have since mobilised reinforcements to the affected locations. A combined team of military and police personnel has launched coordinated search and pursuit operations to track down the attackers and recover the missing operative.
Security sources in Tsafe described the attacks as a “well-planned and simultaneous offensive,” targeting both state and local security operatives in a bid to weaken the region’s defence network.
The Zamfara State Government and security agencies have not yet issued an official statement as of press time, but sources confirm that the area remains tense, with patrols intensified to prevent further attacks.
