Bandits Shoot Retired General heading Zamfara Community Guards

From Yusha’u A. Ibrahim, Gusau

Bandits, Sunday shot the Director General of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards (CPG), General Lawal B. Muhammad (rtd).

Daily Trust gathered that General Muhammad was shot by the bandits during an attack on motorists at Kucheri village in Tsafe local government area of Zamfara state.

The bandits were said to have blocked the busy Funtua-Tsafe road late evening, and attacked motorists including the CPG’s DG.

Out reporter gathered that scores of passengers were abducted by the bandits during the operation.

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A source from the Zamfara State Ministry of Internal Security, who preferred anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to press, confirmed the incident and said the DG was receiving medical treatment at a Hospital in Gusau, the state capital.

“It is confirmed that the bandits shot DG Community Protection Guards and he is currently receiving treatment at Yariman Bakura Specialist Hospital,” the source said.

The attack comes days after bandits killed at least eight CPG personnel and a commercial driver in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara.

Eyewitness accounts revealed that the bandits ambushed the CPG personnel  before killing them.

The bandits also engaged soldiers in a gun duel at Unguwar Chida village, killing a commercial driver and injuring three soldiers.

Unguwar Chida is a village just a few metres away from Magazu on the same Funtua-Gusau road.

The two separate attacks, according to a resident of Unguwar Chida, were carried out almost at the same time.

Reacting to that attack, the General who was shot, had said, “After I realised that bandits have made operations in Tsafe a routine exercise, I deployed 105 CPG personnel to the local government and stationed them at this particular point to protect travellers.

“Unfortunately, the bandits on Sunday ambushed my boys. I suspect that the bandits slept there because my boys used to go there early in the morning. So, while my boys were about to come down from their patrol van, the bandits opened fire and killed some of them on the spot. It is quite unfortunate.”

Zamfara is one of the NorthWest States badly affected by banditry. Despite efforts by the government to contain the outlaws, they have continued wreaking havoc.