Armed bandits on Saturday blocked the ever-busy Gusau-Funtua highway and abducted an unspecified number of travellers.

The bandits blocked the highway between Kucheri and Magazu communities in Tsafe Local Government Area of the state, shooting at moving vehicles.

The spokesperson of the Zamfara State Police Command, ASP Yazid Abubakar, confirmed the incident to Channels Television via a telephone conversation.

He said an unspecified number of travellers were abducted during the attack, adding that the police and other security agencies are currently on joint rescue operations in order to rescue the abducted victims.

?The incident happened this afternoon. The bandits blocked the road and started shooting at the commuters, they kidnapped some of them,? Abubakar said.

?The command in collaboration with other security agencies are working hand in hand to make sure the kidnapped victims are rescued.?

Abubakar, however, denied the report that five mobile policemen were abducted during a shootout with the bandits

Recently, armed bandits have carried out a series of attacks along the highway.

Zamfara is one of several states in northwestern and central Nigeria terrorised by heavily armed gangs, who carry out mass abductions for ransom as well as burning and looting homes.

The gangs, who maintain camps in a huge forest straddling Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states, have also undertaken large-scale kidnappings of pupils from schools in recent years.

Bandits have recently stepped up attacks, particularly in Katsina and Zamfara states.

Last month, the gangs raided four villages in Katsina state?s Sabuwa district, killing 25 people, mostly local vigilantes, in apparent reprisals over military offensives on their hideouts, according to a local official.

Bandits have no ideological leaning and are motivated by financial gain. But analysts and officials have expressed concern over their increasing alliance with jihadists waging a 15-year armed rebellion in the northeast. (Channels TV; Text only)

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