Army officer, policeman killed as bandits kidnap Zamfara residents

An army officer and a police officer were killed, and an unspecified number of residents were abducted during a bandit attack on Kasuwar Daji village in the Kaura Namoda Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Nigeria. The incident occurred early Sunday morning around 1:40 a.m.

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We commend the military for their efforts to foil the attack, but unfortunately, the bandits escaped into the forest along with the people they abducted.

An eyewitness, Musa Garba, reported that a large group of bandits invaded the village, killing the two security operatives and abducting villagers. Garba described the scene as horrific, with people fleeing for their lives and women and children left stranded. He commended the military's efforts to foil the attack but noted that the bandits overwhelmed security forces due to their sheer numbers and escaped into the forest with the captives.

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We commend the military for their efforts to foil the attack, but unfortunately, the bandits escaped into the forest along with the people they abducted.

Lt. Col. Olaniyi Osoba, Acting Deputy Director of Army Public Relations for the 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, confirmed the attack. He stated that troops responded with "coordinated, overwhelming firepower" when alerted to the bandits' movement, forcing them to retreat into the forest. Osoba reported that the military's fierce resistance inflicted heavy casualties on the bandits, leading to the rescue of nine abducted civilians. However, he acknowledged that the bandits had managed to abduct an unspecified number of residents from the surrounding community during the chaos.

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Alerted troops swiftly detected the hostile movement and responded with coordinated, overwhelming firepower. The fierce resistance compelled the terrorists to abandon their mission and withdraw in confusion.

The military launched a pursuit of the fleeing bandits. The incident highlights the ongoing security challenges in Zamfara State, where banditry and kidnappings have become a persistent problem, despite efforts by security forces.

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The incident occurred at approximately 1:40 am on 2 August 2026, when terrorists attempted to exploit the cover of darkness to breach the military facility.