Police begin statewide offensive after bandits kill 44 in Kebbi
The Kebbi State Police Command has launched a clearance operation after 44 people were killed by bandits in Shanga Local Government Area of the state.
The victims were from Gebe, Kalkami, Kawara, Kasoshi, Awaye, Tungar Rini, Binuwa and Dabe villages.
The coordinated attack by the bandits prompted an immediate escalation of security deployments across the state, targeting forests, border communities, farmlands and high-risk corridors used by the criminal gangs.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Bashir Usman, noted in a statement on Friday that the intervention had begun to restore stability in the affected areas.
“Massive deployments of police and other security agencies have led to the return of relative calm in the affected areas, while discreet investigations are ongoing,” he said.
He added that coordinated patrols and intelligence-led stop-and-search operations were ongoing, supported by joint security teams.
In an early breakthrough, police operatives recovered two AK-47 rifles along the Illo–Kamba axis.
The Commissioner of Police, Umar Hadejia, urged residents to support ongoing security operations by providing timely information.
“We call on members of the public to remain vigilant, report suspicious movements, and cooperate fully with security agencies,” he said, appealing to traditional rulers, religious leaders and youth groups to assist with intelligence gathering.
He noted that community cooperation remained critical to sustaining the offensive against armed groups operating in the region.
