Security operatives have successfully disarmed an improvised explosive device (IED) allegedly planted by terrorists along the Danjibga–Kuncin Kalgo route in Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
The operation was conducted by a joint team comprising the Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal–Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (EOD–CBRN) Unit, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit and the Military EOD, with reinforcement from the Zamfara State Police Command.
According to a statement released on Saturday by the police spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, the operation took place on Friday under the leadership of SP Abdulrazak Musa Hassan. He explained that the team employed standard Render Safe Procedures to safely neutralise a pressure-plate IED discovered at the site.
Abubakar added that explosive materials recovered from the device were secured for further forensic analysis. Following a thorough sweep and technical evaluation of the area, the route was declared safe for residents and commuters.
He urged members of the public to remain alert and continue to share credible intelligence with security agencies to aid ongoing security operations in the state.
Zamfara remains one of the states hardest hit by banditry in Nigeria’s northwest, where armed groups have continued to launch deadly attacks despite sustained security presence. For years, criminal gangs operating from forest hideouts spanning Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger states have carried out mass killings and kidnappings for ransom.
A recent report by SBM Intelligence revealed that between July last year and June 2025, at least 4,722 people were abducted in 997 incidents, while no fewer than 762 were killed. Although kidnappers demanded an estimated ₦48 billion in ransom, they reportedly received about ₦2.57 billion.
The report noted that Nigeria’s kidnap-for-ransom crisis has evolved into a highly organised, profit-driven enterprise. Meanwhile, international attention has also been drawn to the country’s security challenges, with former US President Donald Trump last November threatening military action over alleged mass killings of Christians by extremist groups.
