Bandits Abduct Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Leader in Zamfara.

Armed bandits have abducted Ambassador Bashir Isa Gusau, a key leader of the Tinubu/Shettima Campaign Organisation in Zamfara State, in a fresh attack highlighting the worsening security situation in the North-West.

Gusau, who serves as the North-West Youth Leader of the campaign organisation in the state, was kidnapped in the early hours of Thursday at his residence in Gusau, the state capital.

According to reports, about 30 heavily armed gunmen stormed his home in the early morning, overpowering the area before forcibly taking him away. The attackers were said to have carried out the operation in the presence of his wife and other household members before fleeing to an unknown destination.

Local sources said the incident was promptly reported to security agencies, although no official statement had been issued by the police or other security authorities as of the time of filing this report. It also remains unclear whether the abductors have made contact or demanded a ransom.

The abduction adds to the long list of kidnapping and banditry incidents that have plagued Zamfara State and other parts of the North-West in recent years. The state has remained one of the epicentres of armed banditry, with politicians, community leaders and ordinary citizens frequently targeted for ransom.

The latest incident has again raised concerns about the safety of political actors and residents in the state, as well as the capacity of security agencies to curb the persistent wave of criminal attacks.

Efforts to secure the release of Ambassador Gusau are said to be ongoing, while residents and political stakeholders have called on the Federal Government to intensify security operations in Zamfara and the wider region to stem the tide of abductions and violence.