By Paul Adaji (ABUJA) –

More than seven weeks after three police bomb disposal experts were killed while clearing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted by bandits in Zamfara State, their colleagues have raised concerns over the alleged lack of support for the families they left behind.

The officers warned that failure to adequately cater for the families of personnel who make the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty could have serious implications for the morale of security personnel engaged in high-risk counter-insurgency operations across the North-West.

The three officers, all members of the Violent Crimes Response Unit (VCRU) of the Nigeria Police Force, were killed on June 16, 2026, during a counter-IED operation along the Anka-Bagega Road in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

According to a report by PRNigeria, the deceased were Superintendent of Police Abdulrazak Hassan, Commander of the VCRU and head of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team; Inspector Murtala Musa; and Inspector Auwal Ahmad.

They were among the Force’s most experienced bomb technicians deployed to Zamfara to confront the growing use of explosives by terrorists and bandits operating in the state and neighbouring areas.

Security sources said the team had successfully detected and neutralised several IEDs planted along the highway before their Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) struck another concealed explosive device.

The resulting blast reportedly destroyed the vehicle, after which armed bandits emerged from nearby hideouts and engaged the surviving personnel in a fierce gun battle. The attackers were said to have set the damaged APC ablaze before retreating into the forest.

The deaths sent shockwaves through the Nigeria Police Force and prompted the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to travel to Gusau, where he attended the funeral prayers for the fallen officers and condoled with their families.

Egbetokun described the officers as heroes who paid the ultimate price in defence of the nation and vowed that the Force would intensify operations against banditry and terrorism.

“There will be no safe haven for criminals,” the IGP declared.

However, colleagues of the deceased currently engaged in counter-insurgency operations told PRNigeria that, despite the national recognition accorded the fallen officers, their families were yet to receive any support from the Zamfara State Government.

The officers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, appealed to Governor Dauda Lawal to intervene.

“We have seen how some state governments support families of security personnel who die defending their states. Unfortunately, more than a month after these officers paid the supreme sacrifice, their families are still waiting for any form of intervention from the Zamfara State Government,” one of the operatives said.

The officers said the deceased left behind young families with substantial responsibilities.

SP Hassan is survived by his wife and four children, while Inspectors Musa and Ahmad each left behind two wives and five children.

“They were not ordinary policemen. They were among our finest EOD experts who risked their lives daily to detect and destroy explosives planted on roads used by innocent commuters,” another officer said.

“Before the incident that claimed their lives, they had successfully neutralised numerous IEDs and saved countless lives.”

The officers expressed concern that inadequate welfare and the absence of meaningful support for the families of fallen personnel could erode the morale of officers routinely assigned to similarly dangerous missions.

They said members of the VCRU continue to operate in some of the most volatile parts of Zamfara and neighbouring states, dismantling terrorist networks, rescuing kidnapped victims, recovering rustled cattle and intercepting illegal arms.

“Many are asking what becomes of their own families if the same thing happens to them,” one of the sources said.

They therefore urged the Zamfara State Government to consider introducing welfare packages or emergency relief programmes for families of security personnel killed in the line of duty.

According to them, such interventions would not only provide much-needed assistance to bereaved families but could also strengthen the morale and operational effectiveness of personnel still risking their lives in the fight against terrorism and banditry.

Zamfara Government Yet to Respond

PRNigeria contacted the Zamfara State Government through the governor’s spokesperson, Sulaiman Bala Idris, seeking clarification on the concerns raised by the security personnel and whether the state government had provided any assistance to the families of the fallen officers.

As of the time of filing this report, Idris had neither responded to the message sent to him nor answered a subsequent telephone call.

With a report by PRNigeria