Police arrest 49 suspects in Kebbi, recover AK-47 rifles, rustled cattle

The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested two suspected bandits and 47 other criminal suspects in separate operations across the state, recovering firearms, stolen property, and rustled cattle.

The Commissioner of Police, Umar M. Hadejia, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Command headquarters in Birnin Kebbi on Monday.

He said the operations were carried out in collaboration with the Nigerian Army, leading to the recovery of 10 AK-47 rifles, three fabricated Beretta pistols, and about 33 rustled cattle allegedly linked to suspected Lakurawa terrorists.


According to him, on April 29, 2026, police mobile officers on patrol along the Bena–Mai Rai Rai road arrested two suspected bandits, Aliyu Hussaini, 23, of Minna in Niger State, and Sani Abubakar, 28, of Zamfara State.

He said items recovered from the suspects included 36 rounds of live ammunition, a magazine, a Bajaj motorcycle, N264,000 in cash, mobile phones, SIM cards, and memory cards.

The commissioner added that the suspects confessed to involvement in terrorising villages along the axis and are currently in custody for investigation.

Hadejia also said that on May 1, a patrol team intercepted two suspects involved in a motorcycle robbery attempt along the Ambursa–Sanyinna road, during which a victim was injured and a motorcycle recovered.

In another incident on May 2, police arrested a suspect linked to a gang that attacked a traveller and stole a motorcycle along the Masalaci Zarya–Jega road.

He said efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the criminal gangs.

The police commissioner reaffirmed the command’s commitment to sustaining operations against banditry, armed robbery, and other violent crimes across Kebbi State.