A driver has been killed, while two local government officials were abducted and another person injured in a deadly attack along Tashar Lawali Road in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The incident reportedly occurred at about 11:20 a.m. on May 18, 2026, when armed men suspected to be bandits blocked the road near Jangebe District and opened fire on vehicles and commuters passing through the area.
According to reports, the attackers specifically targeted a vehicle carrying local government officials before forcefully taking two of them into the bush.
Those abducted were identified as Jamilu Sani, the Director of Planning in Talata Mafara Local Government Area, and Muslimu Habibu, a councillor representing Jangebe Ward.
During the attack, another official, Samaila Ladan of the Hajj Affairs Unit, sustained gunshot injuries to his right hand.
The driver of the vehicle, identified as Lawali Hakimi, was shot dead at the scene.
A security source, Zagazola Makama, said joint security teams comprising police officers, military personnel and members of the Community Protection Guards were quickly mobilised after a distress call.
The injured victim was rescued and taken to a medical facility for treatment, while security forces launched a search-and-rescue operation in surrounding forests to track the abductors and free the kidnapped officials.
Authorities also confirmed that patrols had been intensified in Talata Mafara and nearby communities to prevent further attacks and reassure residents.
The attack adds to the growing wave of insecurity in Zamfara State, where banditry, kidnappings and deadly ambushes continue to affect rural communities despite ongoing military operations in the North-West.
