At least five police officers have been killed in an ambush on the Sokoto-Gusau highway. The officers were travelling from Sokoto to Zamfara State for a special duty assignment. They were in a Zamfara State mass transit bus, known locally as Bazamfara. Heavily armed men intercepted the vehicle and opened fire at close range. The attack occurred along the border corridor between the two states. Reports differed on whether it happened on Sunday or Monday.
The Sokoto-Gusau corridor has been a bandit hunting ground for a decade. In 2021, the military launched a major offensive in Sokoto and Zamfara. The attacks continued. In 2024, gunmen killed soldiers and police on the same road. In 2025, several mass transit buses were ambushed. Security convoys have not been spared. The pattern reflects a simple fact. The forests along the border give armed groups cover. The highways give them targets. The police travel with rifles and few armoured vehicles. The attackers travel with better firepower and local knowledge.
The Zone 10 Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abdullahi Faruk, confirmed the attack. He said the bodies had been deposited at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital in Sokoto. He promised more details later. Sources said some officers were abducted, not just killed. Other accounts said the officers were on their way to provide security for an APC primary election in Kaura Namoda, Zamfara North. The Zamfara police command declined to comment, saying the matter fell under the zonal command. Photos showed bodies in camouflage inside the bus, some bound with ropes, blood on the seats and personal effects scattered. No group has claimed responsibility.
Winners: The attackers, who escaped with weapons and possibly hostages. No one else. Losers: The five dead officers and their families. The abducted officers, if reports are correct. The police force, which lost men on a routine deployment. The APC, whose primary election security was compromised. Travellers on the highway, who remain exposed. The state, whose roads are not safe for its own security agents.
Bottom Line: Five policemen died going to protect a party primary. They were ambushed on a road the state has not secured. The attackers left with guns and likely captives. The police will announce an investigation. The highway will remain dangerous. The next convoy will face the same odds.