Killing Of Nine Zamfara Guards: Gov Lawal Assures Support To Families

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

The Zamfara State Governor, Dauda Lawal,  on Tuesday, October 8, 2024, condemned in the strongest terms, the killings of nine members of the  State Security outfit- Community Protection Guards CPG by suspected banditry elements.

The Governor described the incident as barbaric, cowardly  and unacceptable.

The Source reports that the CPG operatives, were, on Monday October 7, ambushed and killed  at a checkpoint on the outskirts of Tsafe Local Government Area of the State by suspected bandits.

The Commander of the State Security outfit, Brigadier General Mohammed Lawal rtd, said the guards were drafted to the area to assist in halting the spate of abductions of travelers on the Gusau-Funtua highway by criminal elements .

While noting that the intervention of the CPG has assisted greatly in mitigating kidnappings and other criminal activities on the route, he regretted that the men were ambushed by some retreating bandits Monday morning.

“When I got to know about the bandits route around that area which they used to kidnap travelers, I told the Governor and we deployed the CPGs to that side, armed with two Hilux vehicles.The area is covered by mountains.

For about two months now, they have been there (CPGs). They will resume early in the morning and vacate around 6.30pm for other patrols. Since then, kidnappings along that axis have been reduced.

The bandits slept in a community around the area. In the morning when the CPG Hilux vehicle dropped the first set of our personnel ,and returned to pick others, the bandits who had already laid ambush opened fire on them and unfortunately, we lost eight of our men and one traveler was also shot”, General Lawal told Channels TV.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Governor Lawal  lauded the gallantry of the fallen CPG members and other security operatives in the efforts to protect lives and properties in the state.

“I received the unfortunate report of the an ambush by bandits yesterday (Monday) in Tsafe Local Government Area during which nine of our brave Community Protection Guards were killed.

“The guards ambushed and killed are; Nasiru Aliyu, Jubiru Hassan ,Abullahi Dangude ,Bashar Bawa, M’uazu Musa, Anas Dahiru, Anas Yakubu ,Lawal Yunusa, and one other.

The bandits ambush on our guards is a cowardly act, as they were dispersed and on the run due to sustained troop onslaught across the State.

The troop will continue the renewed onslaught to defeat bandits in the State and the entire region” Governor Lawal stated.

While commiserating with the families, relations, friends of the victims and the entire residents on the unfortunate development, the Governor assured that the heroic sacrifices of the fallen CPG personnel shall not be in vain..

“My Government is committed to providing support to the families of the frontline guards who lost their lives” the Governor assured.