The Kebbi State Police Command has arrested seven suspected terrorists, including members of the Mamudawa and Lakurawa groups, along with a suspected logistics supplier believed to have been assisting the criminal networks.
The Commissioner of Police, Umar Hadejia, disclosed the arrests while briefing journalists, explaining that the operations were carried out in different parts of Kebbi State through coordinated efforts by police personnel.
According to him, officers of the Police Mobile Force attached to the Illo Division in Bagudo Local Government Area intercepted three suspected members of the Mamudawa group during a routine patrol along the Illo Lolo Road.
The suspects, identified as Muhammadu Bandi, Aliyu Abubakar, and Muhammadu Abubakar, were reportedly travelling on a motorcycle to Lolo town when they were apprehended. Preliminary findings indicate they were on their way to purchase food supplies for other members of the group.
Hadejia revealed that early investigations also linked the suspects to suspicious movements recorded around the area during the June 4, 2026 attack in Illo that claimed the lives of three personnel of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
The police commissioner further disclosed that four suspected members of the Lakurawa group were arrested on June 7 by operatives of the Police Mobile Force deployed on special duty along the Ka’oje Bakin Ruwa Road, also within Bagudo Local Government Area.
The suspects were identified as Haruna Abubakar, Abubakar Lawali, Anme Shehu, and Yahaya Shehu. They are currently being investigated over their alleged involvement in armed banditry activities linked to the Soda Forest area of the state.
He added that the State Criminal Investigation Department in Birnin Kebbi has taken over the case and is continuing investigations.
In a separate operation, police also arrested Murtala Sani of Zazzagawa village over allegations that he supplied food items, soft drinks, and other logistics to members of the Lakurawa group.
Investigators believe Sani repeatedly transported one Amadu Umar, who is suspected to be a member of the terrorist group, from Zazzagawa town to a suspected criminal hideout within the area.
Hadejia said the suspect remains in police custody and is cooperating with investigators by providing useful information that could lead to the arrest of other members of the group who are still at large.
The police command reaffirmed its commitment to sustaining security operations across the state, assuring residents that efforts to dismantle criminal networks and restore peace would continue without interruption.
