By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
Ten police officers were killed in a fierce gun battle after heavily armed bandits ambushed a police convoy along the Rafin Makuku axis of Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State, one of the deadliest attacks on security personnel in the state in recent months.
The bandits, who were moving between Zamfara and Kebbi states, were intercepted by police operatives at about 9.25am on Monday, 10 August, 2026, triggering an exchange of gunfire that left 10 policemen and two civilians dead, while 17 suspected bandits were reportedly neutralised.
Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedo, who confirmed the incident, disclosed that two other officers sustained injuries and were receiving medical attention, while four motorcycles belonging to the attackers were destroyed during the confrontation.
Following the attack, police said the situation had been brought under control, with additional personnel deployed to reinforce security and prevent the fleeing bandits from regrouping, while intensifying efforts to track down those who escaped the scene.
The remains of the slain officers were conveyed to Birnin Kebbi as the killings threw the Nigeria Police Force into mourning.
Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu, expressed profound grief over the loss, extending condolences to the families and describing their deaths as a painful loss to the Force and the nation, while assuring that their sacrifices would not be forgotten and vowing to sustain operations until the fleeing suspects are brought to justice.
Days after the ambush, a delegation led by DIG Umar Dada visited Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, at the Government House, Birnin Kebbi, where the state government pledged to support the families of the slain officers.
Idris commiserated with the police and the affected families, explaining that the personnel were in the area supporting other security agencies against terrorists and criminal elements, and disclosed it was Kebbi’s tradition to assist families of officers who died in the line of duty.
Dada conveyed the IGP’s condolences to the governor and the bereaved families, assuring that the police would intensify efforts to arrest the attackers, while disclosing that a new police squadron would soon be established in Kebbi State to strengthen security operations.
