Travellers kill bandit, seize AK-47 rifles in Zamfara

A bandit was killed by a courageous family of a bride-to-be and a group of passengers when they thwarted a kidnapping attempt in Zamfara State.

Reports have it that the incident unfolded when the family of the bride-to-be and other travellers were ambushed by bandit terrorists along the Talata Mafara-Gusau highway.

The bride’s family planned to purchase clothing and other wedding materials in Kano when they embarked on the journey, but their plans took a harrowing turn when armed bandits targeted them.

According to a source, the response of the travelers was spontaneous once the bandits had selected their victims, despite one of the bandits managing to escape, the passengers captured two AK-47 rifles.

“A few kilometres away from the Fangal Tama checkpoint, the travellers heard gunshots echoing all around. To their shock, they encountered two well-armed bandits on motorcycles, blocking the road and halting vehicles,” the source explained.

He further explained that the bandits immediately ordered the young woman (the bride-to-be), her father, mother, and two other relatives to exit their car, with guns pointed at them, stressing that the terrified family members were forced to follow the bandits into the nearby forest.

On realizing the grave danger they faced on forced abduction, he stated that the passengers decided to act swiftly by rallying together and launching an attack on one of the two bandits.

In a fierce struggle, he explained that they managed to overpower him, resulting in his instant death, saying that the other bandit escaped, leaving behind his firearm, which they handed over to the military at a nearby checkpoint.

He lamented that one of the passengers suffered a sudden heart attack due to the traumatic experience and later died in the hospital.