Members of the Zamfara State Community Protection Guards have arrested a commercial driver found conveying 98 explosive devices, N13 million in cash, and three motorcycles allegedly destined for a bandits’ camp in Bindin village, Maru Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Addressing journalists in Gusau on Wednesday, Punch reports that the Commandant of the outfit, Mohammed Shehu Dalijan, said the suspect, identified as Abubakar Abdullahi, was intercepted along the Gusau–Dansadau Road while heading to Bindin village, an area he described as largely occupied by bandits.
According to the Commandant, the driver was travelling in a Golf vehicle when operatives stopped and searched him. “After thorough investigation, 98 explosive devices, N13 million cash, three brand new motorcycles packaged in their boxes and some weeds suspected to be Indian hemp were discovered in his vehicle,” he said.
Other items recovered from the suspect included cartons of cigarettes, suspected Indian hemp, and crates of apples.
When questioned, the suspect said he was given the items by an unnamed individual to deliver to illegal miners in Bindin village, but did not disclose the identity of the person.
The arrest underscores the growing use of explosive devices by bandits along the Gusau–Dansadau corridor. According to Daily Trust, bandits in Zamfara State have increasingly resorted to planting explosive devices along the Dansadau axis, with at least two such incidents recorded within a single week in late 2025, one of which killed a commercial driver who was the sole occupant of a bus.
The Zamfara State Community Protection Guards, also known as Askarawa, were established by Governor Dauda Lawal’s administration to complement federal security forces in tackling the persistent banditry crisis in the state. Maru Local Government Area has been among the hardest-hit areas, with bandits previously abducting over 100 persons, mostly women and children, in the LGA.
The suspect has been handed over to relevant security authorities for further investigation.
