Birnin Kebbi, Nigeria — The recently launched Operation Restore Peace, built around the 36 Mobile Brigade Force (MBF) squadron in Kebbi State, has arrested five suspected bandits in a major offensive targeting armed banditry and kidnappings along the Kebbi–Zamfara axis.
Police spokesperson CSP Nafiu Abubakar said the suspects were intercepted on Sunday during an aggressive, intelligence-led operation and are believed to be behind a series of attacks and abductions in Tadurga and surrounding border communities, particularly in Bukkuyum Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
According to Abubakar, preliminary investigations show the men are part of a syndicate that has been terrorising villages along the boundary between the two states. He added that the suspects have confessed to involvement in banditry and kidnapping in the affected areas.
Security operatives recovered:
- One AK-47 rifle
- A significant quantity of arms and ammunition
- ₦2 million in cash, suspected to be ransom proceeds
Kebbi State Commissioner of Police, CP Bello M. Sani, hailed the 36 MBF squadron for what he described as their “bravery, resilience and ceaseless patrols” across vulnerable communities.
He urged the officers to sustain the pressure on criminal gangs until bandits and kidnappers are forced to abandon their operations completely in Kebbi State.
“We will not relent until every corner of this state is safe,” CP Sani said, calling on residents to continue sharing timely information with security agencies to support ongoing operations.
Operation Restore Peace is part of a broader security strategy aimed at stabilising the North-West, where cross-border raids, rural banditry and mass kidnappings have displaced thousands and undermined farming and trade.
With the latest arrests and weapons seizure, police authorities say they have struck another blow against criminal networks operating along the Kebbi–Zamfara corridor, and vowed that further operations are already underway to dismantle their remaining cells.
