Eight travellers were killed and eight others abducted when armed men attacked motorists on the Gusau-Funtua highway in Zamfara State, the police said on Thursday.
Nine other passengers sustained gunshot injuries in the attack, which occurred near Unguwar Chida village in Tsafe Local Government Area, on Tuesday.
The Zamfara State Police Command said security forces later pursued the attackers and killed 17 suspected bandits in an exchange of fire.
The police spokesperson in the state, Yazid Abubakar, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
Mr Abubakar said the police received a report at about 4:05 p.m. that a large number of armed men had blocked the federal highway and were shooting at motorists and passengers.
