A joint security operation involving the Zamfara State Police Command and military personnel has rescued an abducted staff member of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), foiled coordinated bandit attacks, and recovered hundreds of rustled cattle during separate operations across Gummi, Talata Mafara, and Gusau Local Government Areas of Zamfara State.
Security sources said the operations were launched in response to coordinated attacks by heavily armed bandits who invaded several communities in the state.
According to the sources, the attackers, numbering dozens and riding on about 50 motorcycles, stormed villages in the Ruwan Bore District of Talata Mafara Local Government Area on July 7, rustling hundreds of cattle. A woman sustained a stray bullet injury during the attack and is receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Talata Mafara.
The bandits later moved towards Gummi Local Government Area, where they abducted an INEC staff member, Mr. Aliyu Mohammed, who was on official assignment with the National Examinations Council (NECO). Mohammed had transported examination scripts collected from secondary schools in Gummi to Sokoto before he was intercepted along the Gummi-Sokoto Road.
His official white Toyota Hilux vehicle was later found abandoned at the Tafkin area by police operatives from the Gummi Division. The officers recovered both the vehicle and the examination scripts, which were subsequently handed over to the Principal of Government Unity Secondary School, Gummi, Mr. Ashiru Umar, for onward delivery to the appropriate NECO office in Sokoto.
Acting on intelligence that the bandits had regrouped in the Gando Forest with reinforcements from neighbouring Sokoto and Kebbi states, the Zamfara State Police Command deployed its Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to reinforce military troops conducting operations in the area.
The combined security team engaged the armed bandits in a fierce gun battle in the early hours of July 8, overpowering the criminals and forcing them to flee into the forest with significant casualties. Several of the fleeing bandits were reportedly seen escaping with gunshot wounds.
The operation resulted in the successful rescue of the abducted INEC official and another kidnapped victim, both unharmed. Security operatives also recovered hundreds of rustled cattle, which were returned to their rightful owners.
In a separate operation later on July 8, security personnel responded to a distress call over the abduction of motorists and farmers at Kwanar Ganuwa in Gusau Local Government Area.
Operatives of the VCRU, supported by the Police Mobile Force (PMF), engaged the bandits in another gun duel, forcing them to abandon their captives and flee into the surrounding forest. All the victims were rescued safely without injuries.
The Commissioner of Police in Zamfara State, CP A.M. Bello, commended the joint efforts of the police and military personnel, reaffirming the Command’s commitment to sustaining aggressive operations against banditry and other violent crimes across the state.
He also urged residents to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to support ongoing efforts aimed at restoring lasting peace and security in Zamfara State.
By Zagazola Makama
