Three Police Officers, Including Bomb Disposal Commander, Killed In Zamfara IED Explosion

Three police officers, including a senior bomb disposal commander, were killed on Monday 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.

According to a police situation report obtained by SaharaReporters, the incident occurred at about 5:05 p.m. on June 15, 2026, during an operation to locate and neutralise a suspected landmine planted by bandits terrorising communities in the area.

The report stated that the Officer-in-Charge of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit, Superintendent Abdulrazak Musa Hassan, had arrived at Anka Division alongside other EOD personnel and a team from the Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to carry out a detonation and clearance operation.

Meanwhile, the team was conducting a security sweep of the road in a CSK Armoured Personnel Carrier when tragedy struck.

The report said while sweeping the road, the armoured vehicle stepped on the planted IED/landmine, which exploded instantly.

The explosion reportedly killed three officers on the spot.

The deceased officers were identified as Superintendent Abdulrazak Musa Hassan, the EOD commander leading the operation; Inspector Murtala Musa of the Violence Crime Response Unit; and Inspector Auwal Ahmad, an operative attached to the EOD Unit.

According to the report, the remains of the slain officers are scheduled to be evacuated to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Gusau, where post-mortem examinations will be conducted.

The Anka–Bagega axis has remained one of the flashpoints of insecurity in Zamfara, with residents frequently reporting attacks by armed bandits and the planting of explosive devices on major access roads.

The signal read in part: “ZFS Command X – 15th June, 2026 – Incident Report – Explosion of IED/Landmine – Death of three (3) police officers.

“Be informed that a report from SPOL Anka Division Mine reveals that on 15/06/2026 at about 1705hrs, the Officer-in-Charge, EOD Mine, SP Abdulrazak Musa Hassan, arrived at Anka Division with his EOD personnel and led a team of the Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU) to detonate an improvised explosive device (IED)/landmine suspected to have been planted by armed bandits along the Anka–Bagega Road in Anka LGA.

“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 (3) police officers—the O/C and two others—died on the spot: SP Abdulrazak Musa Hassan, Insp. Murtala Musa (attached to VCRU), Insp. Auwal Ahmad (attached to EOD).” (SaharaReporters)