KEY POINTS

• Bomb Disposal Commander Among Victims
• IED Explodes During Security Clearance Operation
• Anka–Bagega Road Remains a Major Insecurity Flashpoint

Three police officers, including the commander of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit, lost their lives after an improvised explosive device, IED, suspected to have been planted by armed bandits exploded along the Anka–Bagega Road in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The tragic incident occurred at about 5:05 p.m. on Monday, June 15, 2026, while a police team was carrying out a mission to locate and neutralise explosive devices believed to have been planted by criminal elements operating in the area.

According to a police situation report, the Officer-in-Charge of the EOD Unit, Superintendent Abdulrazak Musa Hassan, had arrived at the Anka Division alongside members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit and operatives of the Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU) for a detonation and clearance exercise.

The team was conducting a security sweep of the Anka–Bagega Road using a CSK Armoured Personnel Carrier when the vehicle unknowingly ran over a concealed IED or landmine. The explosive device detonated immediately, causing a devastating blast.

Three Officers Were Killed Instantly

Three officers were killed instantly in the explosion. They were identified as Superintendent Abdulrazak Musa Hassan, who was leading the operation, Inspector Murtala Musa of the Violence Crime Response Unit, and Inspector Auwal Ahmad, an operative attached to the EOD Unit.

The police report stated that the remains of the fallen officers would be evacuated to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Gusau, for post-mortem examinations.

Part of the internal signal read: “In the process of sweeping the road in a CSK armoured personnel carrier, the vehicle unfortunately stepped on the planted IED/landmine, which exploded. Consequently, three police officers, including the Officer-in-Charge and two others, died on the spot.”

The Anka–Bagega axis has become one of the most volatile areas in Zamfara State, with residents frequently reporting attacks by armed bandits and the use of improvised explosive devices on major roads.