The Kebbi State Police Command has launched a clearance operation following coordinated attacks on villages in Shanga Local Government Area that left at least 44 people dead.
The affected communities—Gebe, Kalkami, Kawara, Kasoshi, Awaye, Tungar Rini, Binuwa and Dabe—were reportedly attacked in what authorities described as a coordinated assault by bandits, prompting an immediate escalation of security deployments across the state.
The police said the operation, ordered in line with directives from the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, is targeting forests, border communities, farmlands and other high-risk corridors used by criminal groups.
The command’s spokesperson, SP Bashir Usman, noted in a statement on Friday that the intervention had already 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, which officials described as evidence that the crackdown was already yielding results.
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.
North-West Nigeria, including Kebbi State, has witnessed persistent banditry in recent years, with armed groups carrying out mass killings, kidnappings and cattle rustling, particularly in rural and border communities.
Shanga LGA has remained vulnerable due to difficult terrain and limited security presence in remote settlements.
The latest attack reflects a recurring pattern of coordinated raids on soft targets, often carried out at night, forcing residents to flee and disrupting farming activities.
Security agencies have increasingly relied on joint, intelligence-led operations to dismantle bandit networks and disrupt their supply routes, while urging stronger community collaboration to sustain gains.
Authorities have also provided emergency contact lines as the operation intensifies, insisting that public cooperation will be key to preventing further attacks.
