By Deborah Nnamdi
The Kebbi State Police Command on Sunday confirmed that security operatives along the Maje border road came under attack from armed bandits suspected to be members of the Lakurawa criminal network.
In a statement issued by the command’s Public Relations Officer, Bashir Usman, the attackers were said to have advanced under the cover of darkness, moving a herd of cattle at night to conceal their approach.
According to Usman, operatives of the Police Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) engaged the assailants in a gun duel, forcing them to retreat.
He disclosed that although some temporary security structures were damaged during the attack, no lives were lost and no injuries were recorded.
Security presence along the border has since been reinforced, and the area is now calm and fully under control, the statement added.
The Commissioner of Police, Kebbi State Command, Umar Mohammed Hadeija, urged residents—particularly herders and livestock owners—to avoid moving cattle at night in ways that could be exploited by criminal elements.
He warned that security agencies would take firm and lawful action against any suspicious movement or unlawful activities linked to night grazing.
Wave of Attacks in Kebbi
The latest incident comes amid a series of violent attacks attributed to the Lakurawa militants across parts of Kebbi State.
Last week, suspected Lakurawa terrorists reportedly attacked eight communities in Arewa Local Government Area, killing more than 30 residents during coordinated raids. The affected communities included Masama, Mamunu, Kamzo, Awashaka, Tungar Bature, Dan Mai Rago, Tungar Tsoho, and Gorin Dena.
Residents were said to have mobilised in an attempt to repel the attackers but were ultimately overpowered.
Police authorities stated that preliminary investigations indicated the armed militants invaded the area primarily to rustle cattle. Bashir Usman noted that such incidents require coordinated security interventions to prevent further escalation.
The Lakurawa group had also carried out a similar night assault last year, reportedly setting ablaze 15 communities in Arewa LGA and killing more than 26 people. In an earlier incident, 15 members of a local vigilante group were ambushed and killed while trying to defend their communities from cattle rustlers linked to the group.
Following the renewed violence, Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, convened an emergency security meeting with heads of security agencies at the Government House in Birnin Kebbi. The meeting was believed to be connected to the escalating attacks in Arewa LGA.
The recent assaults occurred weeks after the state hosted the UNESCO-listed Argungu Fishing Festival, held about 60 kilometres from Arewa LGA.
The Lakurawa group has been blamed for multiple attacks in northern Kebbi and neighbouring Sokoto State, often launching raids from forest hideouts, rustling livestock, and imposing illegal levies on residents.
A security expert, Usman Aliyu, described the attacks as an apparent attempt by the group to demonstrate continued relevance.
“I believe the state government has been effectively engaging security operatives, particularly the army, to flush out the terrorist group in both Kebbi South and Kebbi North in recent times,” he said.
Aliyu noted that joint security operations last year reportedly neutralised over 80 bandits and dozens of Lakurawa fighters attempting to infiltrate Kebbi from Zamfara and Sokoto states.
“The recent attack is likely intended to signal that they are still around,” he added.
