Several Soldiers Killed in Zamfara as Bandits Launch Deadly Attacks on Troops and Civilians

Several Nigerian soldiers, including Lieutenant Isma’il Yahya, were killed in a bandit ambush in Zamfara.

The same day, over 15 villagers died in Tofa as attacks and fear spread across the region.

A number of Nigerian military personnel have reportedly been killed in Zamfara State while attempting to fend off a bandit ambush along a major highway. Among the fallen was a young officer, Lieutenant Isma’il Yahya, according to sources familiar with the incident.

The deadly encounter occurred on Sunday as troops engaged armed assailants believed to be part of the criminal gangs terrorizing the region. While the exact number of casualties remains unconfirmed, insiders revealed that families of the slain soldiers had already been notified, although the Nigerian Army has yet to issue an official statement.

In a separate but related attack, suspected terrorists descended on Tofa village in the Magami district of Gusau Local Government Area, killing over 15 residents. Several others were wounded, and some villagers are still missing, sparking fear of further casualties.

Tofa, located near the Zamfara state capital, has endured repeated waves of violence in recent years. Local sources said most residents have fled the area, unable to meet the protection levies imposed by armed groups and disillusioned by the lack of security presence.

“The bandits ambushed troops and killed many of them,” a source said. “Later that day, they invaded Tofa village, where they massacred more than 15 people. Many were injured, and some are still unaccounted for.”

Efforts to reach Nigerian Army spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Onyinyechi Anele for confirmation or comment were unsuccessful, as her phone remained switched off as of press time.

Zamfara continues to be one of the worst-hit states in northern Nigeria plagued by banditry. Armed groups, operating from forest hideouts that stretch across Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states, routinely launch attacks on rural communities. They kill, loot, burn homes, and abduct residents including schoolchildren in operations that have drawn national and international concern.

Despite a peace agreement initiated in 2019 by former Governor Bello Matawalle, now the Minister of State for Defense, the violence has persisted. The accord, which aimed to halt the attacks through negotiation, has largely failed, with communities continuing to suffer from regular assaults and mass abductions.

The latest wave of killings has once again highlighted the fragile security situation in the region and renewed calls for a more robust response from both state and federal authorities.