Five police officers alongside three construction workers have been killed during an attack by bandits along the Funtua-Gusau highway in Zamfara State.

The incident occurred at Yandoton-Tsafe village in Tsafe Local Government Area of the state around 9:am on Thursday, September 12, 2024.

An indigene of the area, Mubarak Mohammed told Punch that the security personnel, consisting of five policemen and three soldiers, were attached to a road construction company, Setraco Nigeria Limited, when the armed bandits suddenly came out of their hiding place and opened fire.

Mohammed explained that the deceased police and military personnel were always on the road to give protection to the construction workers who were repairing the Gusau-Tsafe-Zaria road.

“The bandits laid an ambush in a nearby farm close to the main road and immediately the police and the military personnel arrived at the place, they (bandits) opened fire instantly, killing some of them,” he said.

“There was a heavy fight between the bandits and the security personnel which further led to the killing of other security personnel.

“Some of the bandits were also killed during the encounter.”

Muhammad stated that there was pandemonium on the road as motorists ran helter-skelter, leaving their vehicles on the road, and running to the bush for their lives.

“This work has been going on for several months, but only a few kilometres were covered because the bandits are always here to attack either the construction workers or those travelling on the road,” he added.

The spokesperson of the Zamfara State Police Command, Yazid Abubakar, who confirmed the attack said efforts were on to ascertain the causalities involved.

Abubakar could however not confirm the number of officers killed as he was yet to get a field report from the team deployed to sequel the attack.

“There was an attack that happened today and we are on the issue now. Inshallah, when we conclude our report I will send a release; right down we are on the issue,” the PPRO stated.

“As we speak, I haven’t received the actual number yet but we are on it. I will inform you in detail as soon as our officers return.

“Since morning our officers have been in the bush for the rescue operation. I’m expecting them to call me. I tried calling but there is no network there. Once they have a network I will contact them because I want to get the actual thing that happened.”

Meanwhile, some locals told Daily Trust that the attack was believed to be carried out by a notorious bandits’ leader, Dan Yusuf, the younger brother to another deadly kingpin, Ado Alliero.