By Musa Ubandawaki, Sokoto
A passenger travelling in a vehicle operating under the Sokoto State Transport Authority (SSTA) has been shot dead after bandits intercepted the bus along the volatile Mayanchi Junction in Zamfara State, raising fresh concerns over the safety of interstate travellers across Nigeria’s Northwest corridor.
The vehicle, which was conveying 16 passengers from Abuja to Sokoto, was reportedly ambushed by heavily armed bandits while passing through the Mayanchi axis, a notorious stretch linking Zamfara and neighbouring states that has repeatedly witnessed attacks by criminal gangs.
Eyewitness accounts indicated that the assailants forced the commercial vehicle to a halt before attempting to take control of the passengers. During the chaos that followed, one of the passengers reportedly tried to flee the scene but was shot dead by the attackers.
Security sources said the bandits subsequently whisked away the remaining occupants of the vehicle to an unknown destination, although authorities are yet to officially confirm the number of passengers currently in captivity.
Preliminary information revealed that the vehicle involved in the incident operates under the Sokoto State Transport Authority but is privately owned.
The 18-seater bus was reportedly leased to the state transport agency by an individual transporter whose identity has not been publicly disclosed.
Officials of the transport agency confirmed that the bus was part of vehicles operating within the SSTA fleet arrangement involving private transport operators.
According to sources within the agency, the passenger manifest of those on board has already been handed over to the Nigerian Army, which has begun efforts to trace and contact the next of kin of the affected travellers.
Military authorities are also believed to have commenced coordination with other security agencies to track the bandits responsible for the attack and possibly rescue the abducted passengers.
However, attempts by our correspondent to obtain further clarification from the management of the Sokoto State Transport Authority were unsuccessful.
The commissioner in charge of the agency, Hon. Bala Kokani, declined to grant an interview but responded briefly via a text message, stating that the intercepted vehicle was not directly owned by the government.
“The 18-seated vehicle intercepted is leased to the transport agency by a transporter in the state,” the commissioner wrote, declining further comments on the incident.
The silence from key officials has fuelled anxiety among families of passengers who are still awaiting official confirmation about the fate of their loved ones.
The attack adds to the growing list of violent incidents along highways linking the Federal Capital Territory to parts of the NorthWest, where bandit groups have intensified ambushes, kidnappings and attacks on travellers.
Security analysts warn that the Mayanchi corridor remains one of the most dangerous routes in the region due to its proximity to forests believed to serve as operational bases for armed groups.
Residents and civil society organisations have repeatedly called for stronger security presence and coordinated military operations along the Abuja–Zamfara–Sokoto transport route to prevent further attacks on commuters.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the incident, while efforts to rescue the abducted passengers were said to be ongoing.
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