GUSAU – Death came knocking for the Zamfara State Government on Thursday evening as the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Alhaji Mouktar Lugga, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt after his convoy was sprayed with bullets by suspected bandits.
The daring ambush occurred around 6:16 p.m. along the notoriously dangerous Funtua-Gusau highway, specifically near the Kucheri axis in Tsafe Local Government Area. Lugga was returning to the state capital from an official trip when his vehicle was caught in a hail of gunfire from both sides of the road.
A Miraculous Escape
Eyewitness accounts from the scene describe a terrifying close call. One bullet reportedly shattered the windshield, narrowly missing the driver’s head, while another attacker attempted to fire from point-blank range, only for his weapon to miraculously jam.
Despite the intense fire, the driver kept his cool, flooring the accelerator and maneuvering the bullet-riddled vehicle out of the kill zone. Remarkably, Lugga and every other occupant of the car emerged from the ordeal completely unhurt, though visibly shaken.
The “Death Trap” Highway
The Funtua-Gusau road has increasingly become a “no-go” zone, with bandits frequently setting up roadblocks to snatch travelers. This latest hit on a top-tier government official signals a bold escalation by the criminal gangs who seem to have little fear of the state’s security apparatus.
The attack comes just as Governor Dauda Lawal continues to complain about his lack of control over federal security forces, despite pouring massive resources into patrol vehicles and logistics for the police and military.
A State Under Siege
The ambush adds to a week of chaotic security news across the North. From Bosun Tijani’s “AI cameras” promise for Plateau—which critics say will be useless in the dark—to President Tinubu’s “ten-minute” airport exit from Jos due to a lack of lights, the feeling of vulnerability is reaching a fever pitch.
In Zamfara, where bandits are known to flaunt their weapons on TikTok while state officials are hunted on the highways, the “Rescue Journey” is facing its most violent test yet.
As of Friday morning, security agencies have flooded the Kucheri area with a “manhunt” in progress, but the perpetrators have vanished back into the vast Rugu forest.
