- The Commander of the CPG, Brigadier General Mohammed Lawal (rtd), confirmed the attack
No fewer than eight personnel of the Zamfara State Security Outfit, known as Askarawa, have been killed by gunmen suspected to be bandits.
The slain security officers were members of the Community Protection Guards (CPG), established by Governor Dauda Lawal to support existing security agencies in the state.
The tragic incident occurred when the personnel were ambushed at a checkpoint located a few kilometers outside Tsafe town, the headquarters of Tsafe Local Government Area.
The Commander of the CPG, Brigadier General Mohammed Lawal (rtd), confirmed the attack during an interview with Channels TV.
According to Brigadier General Lawal, the guards had been stationed in the area to curb the incessant abduction of travelers along the Gusau-Funtua Highway, a notorious route frequently targeted by bandits. He said the deployment of the guards had significantly reduced kidnappings in the area since their arrival.
“When I got to know about the bandits’ route around that area which they used to kidnap travelers, I informed the Governor, and we deployed the CPGs to that side, armed with two Hilux vehicles; the area is surrounded by mountains,” Lawal explained.
“For about two months now, they have been there. They resume early in the morning and vacate the place around 6:30 p.m. for other patrols. Since then, kidnappings along that axis have been reduced.”
He further narrated how the bandits ambushed the guards in the early hours of the morning. “The bandits slept in a community around the area. In the morning, when the Hilux vehicle dropped the first set of our personnel and returned to pick others, the bandits, who had already laid an ambush, opened fire on them. Unfortunately, we lost eight of our men, and one traveler was also shot,” he stated.
Brigadier General Lawal assured the public that security agencies would continue to adapt their strategies to tackle the threat posed by bandits. He disclosed that the CPGs were planning new operations after discovering another route frequently used by the assailants to kidnap people around Wanzamai.
“As they (bandits) are also planning, we are also planning because I just discovered another route where the bandits block the road to kidnap people around Wanzamai. We will not relent, and Insha Allah, we will flush them out of this state,” he added.
The incident has sparked concerns over the safety of local security operatives and the effectiveness of community-based security initiatives in combating banditry in the state. Residents are calling on the government to strengthen security measures to ensure the safety of both security personnel and citizens.
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