Kebbi: 10 Policemen, Two Civillian Killed In Bandits Attack

Ten police officers deployed to Kebbi State have been killed after engaging hundreds of suspected bandits who reportedly stormed the Makuku area of Sakaba Local Government Area.

Naija News reports that the policemen, members of the 44 Police Mobile Force, Abuja, were said to have been on special duty in the community when they were confronted by a large number of armed bandits on August 10, 2026.

According to Sahara Reporters, the encounter reportedly lasted for hours as the officers resisted the attackers despite being heavily outnumbered.

A document detailing the incident, titled ‘A Testament of Courage, Sacrifice and Service’, said the attackers descended on the community on about 250 motorcycles.

It was alleged that each motorcycle carried roughly three suspected bandits, many of whom were armed with sophisticated weapons.

According to the account, security personnel received information about the approaching attackers only a few minutes before they arrived.

The officers were therefore faced with the difficult decision of either withdrawing to safety or remaining behind to protect the residents of Makuku.

The report stated, “At that moment, the SIS personnel were faced with an extremely difficult choice. They could have withdrawn from the location to preserve their own lives, leaving the vulnerable residents of Makuku exposed to the advancing attackers.”

“Instead, they chose to stand. Yet, they remained conscious of the oath they had taken and the responsibility entrusted to them as members of the Nigeria Police Force.”

As the bandits launched their assault, the security personnel reportedly responded with heavy gunfire, leading to a fierce confrontation.

The officers reportedly remained at their posts instead of abandoning residents to the attackers.

The report said, “Rather than abandon the people they were deployed to protect, they confronted the attackers and fought back with courage, discipline and determination.”

The resistance reportedly forced the attackers to retreat, while several suspected bandits were said to have been killed during the exchange.

The document claimed that some of the attackers retrieved the bodies of their colleagues and fled with them on motorcycles. Other bodies were allegedly abandoned, while some were reportedly thrown into a river.

The Nigeria Police Force had earlier disclosed that 17 suspected bandits were neutralised during the operation, while four motorcycles belonging to the attackers were destroyed.

The deceased policemen were identified as ASP Bala Buba, 43; Inspectors Saminu Sulaiman, 40; Solomon Jatau, 39; Ayuba Hassain, 38; Umar Yahuza, 37; Auwal Sani, 38; Adamu Abdullahi, 35; Abdullahi Magaji, 43; Sergeant Jimoh Momo, 35; and Corporal Ukpong Otrukmj, 34.

The two civilians who died were identified as Mohammadu Magwawara, 50, and Muhammadu Tiritiri, 45.

Another resident, Shehu Abubakar, 41, sustained serious gunshot wounds during the attack.

The account paid tribute to the slain officers, stressing that their deaths represented the loss of men who had families, ambitions and loved ones.

It stated, “These were not merely numbers on a casualty report. They were officers who had families, loved ones, aspirations and lives beyond the battlefield.

“They gave their lives while performing the duty they had sworn to perform: protecting lives and property and serving the nation.”