Seven security personnel, including three Nigerian Army soldiers and four Nigeria Police Force officers, were killed in an ambush by bandits in Zamfara State on Thursday.
The attack occurred during a confrontation on the Zamfara highway as the security team attempted to thwart a planned assault on a construction company.
According to Zamfara State Commissioner of Police Mohammed Dalijan, the fallen personnel were part of a joint security force deployed to prevent an impending attack on Setraco, a construction company operating in the area. However, the bandits, who had intended to abduct employees of Setraco, launched a surprise attack on the security forces.
“We had intelligence that the bandits were planning to enter the Setraco camp to abduct some of their staff. We sent our men, unaware that the bandits had laid an ambush on the road,” Commissioner Dalijan explained. “As they advanced, they encountered heavy resistance from the bandits, resulting in a gunfight. Sadly, we lost three soldiers and four policemen in the exchange,” he confirmed, as quoted by Channels TV.
Meanwhile, in a separate development, residents of Moriki town in the Zurmi Local Government Area have negotiated with bandit leader Bello Turji to reduce a ransom demand from ₦50 million to ₦30 million. The payment deadline is set for Wednesday.
The ransom is reportedly meant to compensate for the death of Turji’s cattle, allegedly killed by the new commander of the Army base in Moriki. Each household head is expected to contribute ₦10,000, while unmarried individuals are required to pay ₦2,000. Despite the commander’s advice against paying and his assurance to prevent further harm to Turji’s livestock, villagers have begun collecting the ransom.
