A prominent Zamfara APC chieftain, Umar Moriki, has been shot dead by suspected bandits along the Gusau–Tsafe highway near Fegi village on Saturday morning. He was traveling from Gusau to Kaduna when the attackers struck.

The Zamfara APC confirmed his death, describing it as a devastating loss to the party and the state. In a statement, the party’s Publicity Secretary, Yusuf Idris, revealed that Moriki had just attended a stakeholders’ meeting hosted by the Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle.

Idris praised Moriki as a loyal and hardworking party member who made significant contributions to governance and political mobilisation.

Moriki, 62, previously served as Vice Chairman of Zurmi LGA, Director-General of a state agency, and Special Adviser on Rural Electrification. He also contested the Zurmi/Shinkafi House of Representatives seat in the 2023 elections. He is survived by three wives and several children.

Zamfara has remained one of Nigeria’s worst-hit states by banditry, with frequent killings, kidnappings, and attacks on highways, including the Gusau–Tsafe and Gusau–Funtua routes. Communities across Zurmi, Shinkafi, Maru, Tsafe, and Birnin Magaji LGAs continue to face repeated assaults despite security operations.

Moriki’s killing adds to the growing list of political figures and civilians targeted in the state, deepening concerns over worsening insecurity and the strength of armed criminal groups in the region.