Security forces kill 600 bandits, rescue 2,000 hostages in Zamfara

A total of 600 bandits have been killed, 2,000 hostages rescued in 45 major anti-banditry operations in the state in the last one year.

Over 3,500 cattle and 277 sheep rustled by bandits were recovered and handed over to their owners through the intervention of the Zamfara State Government, the police said.

This was revealed by the state police command in a statement at the weekend.

It said more than 30,000 internally displaced persons had returned to their communities, including Fegin Kanawa, Fegin Mahe and Yarkatsinan Laka.

The command was responding to a report released by the SBM Intelligence, which claimed that only four anti-kidnapping operations were conducted in the state between July 2025 and June 2026.

However, the command said its official records showed that 45 major anti-banditry and anti-kidnapping operations were conducted across Zamfara during the period.

The statement was signed by the command’s spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar.

He said the operations involved Police Tactical Operatives, the Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Anti-Bomb Squad, military personnel, Community Protection Guards and Civilian JTF.

It also acknowledged the severity of banditry and kidnapping in the state but said the figure contained in the SBM report did not reflect the scale of security operations conducted during the period.

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