A former Commissioner for Religious Affairs in Zamfara State, Sheikh Abdullahi Maharazu Mafara, has narrowly escaped death after gunmen suspected to be bandits opened fire on his vehicle, leaving him with a gunshot wound to the leg.
It was gathered that the incident occurred on Saturday as the cleric travelled from Talata Mafara to Gusau to attend a meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the assailants ambushed the vehicle and fired multiple shots. The former commissioner was hit during the attack but managed to survive.
Confirming the incident on Sunday, a security alert issued by Bakatsine disclosed that Sheikh Maharazu Mafara, also a prominent Islamic cleric and former local government chairman, was targeted in the ambush.
“He sustained a gunshot wound to the leg; the bullet has been removed, and he is currently recuperating at the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH),” the alert stated.
The latest attack has once again raised serious concerns over the deteriorating security situation in Zamfara, particularly along major highways that have become hotspots for banditry, kidnappings, and targeted assaults.
“With even high-profile figures now being targeted, how are highways in Zamfara still so vulnerable to persistent bandit attacks?” Bakatsine queried.
Zamfara State has for years grappled with armed banditry, with criminal groups frequently attacking villages, abducting residents, and ambushing travellers with little resistance