In a renewed onslaught against banditry in Kebbi State, police operatives and local vigilantes have neutralised a suspected member of the notorious Lakurawa gang during a fierce gun battle in Yeldu District, Arewa Local Government Area.
According to a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafi’u Abubakar, on Thursday, “The incident occurred on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, when heavily armed bandits stormed Kwagware village, rustled several cows, and dispossessed residents of their mobile phones.
“Acting swiftly on the report, the Divisional Police Officer in Yeldu led a combined team of officers and local vigilantes in a hot pursuit of the assailants.
“The team engaged the bandits in a gun duel, resulting in the death of one suspected bandit, while others escaped into the forest with gunshot wounds.
The police recovered a Tecno handset believed to have been stolen from the villagers during the attack, while an unregistered motorcycle belonging to the bandits was set ablaze by jubilant residents.
In the wake of the operation, the Commissioner of Police, Bello M. Sani, ordered the immediate deployment of additional tactical units, military personnel, and vigilante groups to the area to ensure calm, prevent reprisals, and track down fleeing gang members.
Sani commended the gallantry of the security operatives and reaffirmed the command’s commitment to intensifying its offensive against criminal gangs across the state.
“We will continue to sustain our synergy with the military and local vigilantes to ensure total elimination of criminal elements from Kebbi State,” the CP declared.
The operation marks another success in the ongoing joint security effort to secure rural communities and restore peace in bandit-prone parts of the state.
