The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has foiled an armed robbery attempt on the Kaduna-Zaria highway, while a Kaduna Vigilance Service official disclosed that more than five attacks had been repelled at the same location in October.
The NDLEA said its operatives engaged the suspected robbers in a gun duel after a motorist escaped from the attackers and alerted officers stationed near its checkpoint close to Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic, Zaria.
The agency’s Command Public Relations Officer, Sani Garba, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Kaduna on Thursday, saying the incident occurred at about 3am on Sunday.
Garba said the suspected robbers had blocked the highway when one of their victims managed to escape and raise the alarm.
“Some armed robbers had blocked the highway when one of their victims managed to escape and alerted our men stationed nearby,” he said.
He added that the operatives immediately moved to the scene and exchanged gunfire with the suspects, forcing them to abandon the robbery attempt and flee.
“Our operatives immediately moved to the scene and engaged the suspects in a gun duel, forcing them to abandon the operation and flee,” Garba said.
According to him, the intervention prevented the suspected criminals from abducting motorists and other road users, with no case of kidnapping recorded during the incident.
A senior operative of the Kaduna Vigilance Service, who spoke to NAN in Zaria on condition of anonymity, also confirmed that nobody was kidnapped.
The official said occupants of the vehicles abandoned during the encounter later returned and continued their journeys after security operatives intervened.
He, however, disclosed that the service had repelled more than five separate attacks at the same location along the highway in October, preventing suspected criminals from carrying out their operations.
A video circulating on social media after the incident showed several vehicles, including articulated trucks, abandoned along the highway. Some of the trucks appeared to have their engines running, while their drivers and other occupants were nowhere to be seen.
The footage also showed NDLEA operatives inspecting the vehicles and documenting the scene. An officer speaking in Hausa said the suspected robbers fled after sighting the approaching security personnel.
Garba assured motorists that the NDLEA would continue to support other security agencies in protecting lives and property along the route.
He urged members of the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities promptly, while advising motorists to cooperate with security personnel.
The Kaduna-Zaria highway has recorded previous incidents of attacks, kidnapping and killings.
In December 2021, gunmen reportedly blocked the highway and abducted more than 30 commuters near Zaria. In June of the same year, bandits fleeing a military operation reportedly killed three people, including a traveller, in Dunki village along the route.
In August 2022, the Kaduna State Government dismissed reports of bandits operating along the highway, describing the claims as an attempt to create panic and assuring travellers that the road was safe.
