Armed bandits shot and injured Abdullahi Marafa, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Saturday in Zamfara State.
Mr Marafa, a cleric and former commissioner for religious affairs, was attacked while travelling from Talata Mafara to Gusau for an APC stakeholders’ meeting.
A security analyst Bakatsine said in a post on X on Sunday that gunmen opened fire on Marafa’s vehicle during the trip.
“SAD NEWS: Yesterday afternoon, Sheikh Abdullahi Maharazu Mafara, a cleric, former LGA chairman, and former commissioner for religious affairs narrowly escaped an attack when bandits opened fire on his vehicle en route from Talata Mafara to Gusau for an APC meeting in Zamfara State,” he wrote.
He added that the politician sustained a gunshot wound to the leg.
“He sustained a gunshot wound to the leg; the bullet has been removed, and he is currently recuperating at UDUTH.
“With even high-profile figures targeted, how are highways in Zamfara still so vulnerable to persistent bandit attacks?” he said.
According to the report, the bullet was removed and Abdullahi Marafa is receiving treatment at Usman Danfodio University Teaching Hospital.
Images shared after the incident showed the vehicle with bullet marks.
The spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command Abubakar Yazeed said the case had not been formally reported. He said he would contact the Talata Mafara divisional office for verification.
The attack is one of several reported on highways in Zamfara State, where gunmen target travellers on routes linking major towns.
