Bandits Sho0t Former Commissioner, !njure Cleric During Highway Att∆ck En Route APC Meeting

Bandits Shoot Former Commissioner, Injure Cleric During Highway Attack En Route APC Meeting

Gusau, Zamfara State– A former Commissioner for Religious Affairs in Zamfara State, Sheikh Abdullahi Maharazu Mafara, has sustained a gunshot wound after suspected terrorists opened fire on his vehicle, narrowly escaping death.

We gathered that the incident occurred on Saturday as the prominent cleric was travelling from Talata Mafara to Gusau for an All Progressives Congress (APC) meeting.

Meanwhile, the assailants, believed to be armed bandits, ambushed his convoy and sprayed bullets at the vehicle, forcing a chaotic escape.

Confirming the incident on Sunday, a security alert platform, Bakatsine, disclosed that Mafara—who is also a former local government chairman—was wounded in the leg during the attack.

“The bullet has been removed, and he is currently recuperating at Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH).”

The attack on such a high-profile figure has once again raised serious concerns over the worsening security situation in Zamfara State, where bandits continue to operate with alarming impunity, particularly along major highways.

Residents have repeatedly questioned the government’s ability to secure the roads, as kidnappings, ambushes, and killings remain frequent occurrences despite ongoing military operations.

“With even high-profile figures targeted, how are highways in Zamfara still so vulnerable to persistent bandit attacks?” Bakatsine queried.

Zamfara, one of the states hardest hit by banditry in northern Nigeria, has witnessed years of violence, with communities frequently subjected to raids, abductions, and extortion by heavily armed groups.