Zamfara Attack: Gunmen Kill 20 Traders, Security Personnel in Ambush

At least 20 people have reportedly been killed after gunmen ambushed a convoy of traders travelling under military escort in Zamfara State, with security personnel and civilians among the victims.

According to Reuters, the traders were travelling from Gwashi to Nasarawa Market in Bukkuyum Local Government Area on Saturday when armed assailants attacked the convoy at about 2pm.

The reported casualties include four soldiers, three police officers, an officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and 12 civilians. A military source also told Reuters that 19 people sustained injuries during the attack.

The incident adds to a series of security challenges reported in Zamfara, where armed groups have carried out attacks and abductions in recent months. The latest assault highlights the risks faced by civilians travelling along routes affected by insecurity, even when accompanied by security personnel.

In a separate incident about a month earlier, gunmen reportedly abducted six Islamic clerics along the Dakko-Damri feeder road in Bakura Local Government Area. Zamfara State Police Command spokesperson Yazid Abubakar said the clerics were travelling to Talata Mafara when armed men intercepted their vehicle and abducted them.

Abubakar said the six victims were imams and that the attackers were armed with sophisticated weapons. The abduction was among several incidents that raised concerns about the safety of residents travelling between communities in the state.

In June, suspected bandits also abducted seven students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, during an attack on their residence in the Low-Cost area of Kaura Namoda town. According to Abubakar, preliminary findings indicated that one of the students had stepped outside during the night and inadvertently left the door open.

The police spokesperson said the command’s Violent Crime Response Unit had joined troops of Operation Fansan Yamma to track the abductors and secure the students’ release. Further official details about the latest attack on the traders, including any arrests or the identities of the attackers, were not provided in the supplied report.