By SUNTV Global Channel | January 13, 2026
Suspected bandits have abducted a police officer and three other travellers along the Gusau–Sokoto highway in Zamfara State, further highlighting the growing insecurity on one of the region’s major roads.
The incident reportedly occurred on Friday afternoon at about 1:10 p.m. in Maradun Local Government Area, when heavily armed assailants mounted a roadblock near Gidan Kano village and forcefully stopped a vehicle conveying the victims.
The attackers, who operated in broad daylight, reportedly seized four occupants from the vehicle before fleeing to an unknown location.
A security expert and counter-insurgency analyst, Zagazola Makama, disclosed on Tuesday that one of the abducted victims has been identified as Police Constable Gaddafi Faruku. The identities of the remaining three abducted travellers are yet to be officially confirmed.
According to Makama, the kidnappers are believed to be members of armed bandit groups that have been terrorising communities and highways across Zamfara State and neighbouring areas.
Security agencies are said to have launched efforts to track the attackers and secure the safe release of the victims. However, as of the time of filing this report, no breakthrough has been recorded.
Residents of the area have been urged to remain vigilant and support security operatives with credible information that could aid ongoing rescue operations and help dismantle the criminal network behind the attack.
The Gusau–Sokoto highway has increasingly become a danger zone for motorists, with repeated cases of kidnappings, ambushes and killings, despite official assurances that security has improved.
Many travellers now avoid the route or move in convoys out of fear, as bandit attacks continue to disrupt daily movement and commercial activities.
Zamfara State remains one of the states worst affected by Nigeria’s banditry crisis, with armed groups operating with relative impunity—targeting civilians and even security personnel, and demanding hefty ransoms for their release.
— SUNTV Global Channel
