Police Arrest Suspected Bandit Informants, Financiers in Sokoto Crackdown
The Sokoto State Police Command has arrested several individuals suspected of acting as informants and financiers for bandits, while also recovering weapons and ammunition in a series of coordinated operations a cross the state.
The Commissioner of Police, Hayatu Hassan Shaffa, disclosed this during a press briefing on Friday, where he highlighted recent achievements in the command’s fight against insecurity.
According to him, on April 17, 2026, operatives of the Anti Kidnapping Unit, acting on credible intelligence, intercepted and arrested one Aminu Mai Roba along the Ruwa-Wuri Tangaza Road.
The suspect, who was found in possession of four cows, later confessed during interrogation that he received the livestock from the Lakurawa terrorist group at Wariya Village in Tangaza Local Government Area.
Shaffa explained that the suspect’s role was to sell the cattle and remit the proceeds to the criminal network. The recovered animals have been registered as exhibits, while investigations are ongoing.
The police commissioner noted that the briefing was aimed at keeping residents informed and strengthening public trust, reiterating the command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property, as well as maintaining law and order.
He added that since assuming office, the command has recorded notable successes in tackling violent crime, attributing this to improved operational strategies and directives from the Inspector General of Police.
Shaffa also revealed that joint security efforts involving the military, community guards, and vigilantes have enhanced operations in the state.
He cited an April 8 attack in Sabon Birni Local Government Area, near the Niger Republic border, where bandits raided Kwarengamba and Gayya da Kwari villages. A combined security team responded swiftly, engaging the attackers in a gun battle and forcing them to flee with injuries. During the pursuit, security operatives recovered a sack containing 167 rounds of live ammunition.
In a separate operation on April 4, the Anti Kidnapping Unit raided criminal hideouts in Tambuwal, Kware, and Goronyo local government areas, leading to the arrest of three suspects: Isiya Yusuf, Dankulu Sani, and Yushau Abubakar.
Items recovered from the suspects included seven locally made Dane guns, an AK 47 magazine, a military uniform, cutlasses, hard drugs, and substances suspected to be Indian hemp. The suspects have since been charged in court.
Shaffa reaffirmed the command’s resolve to intensify intelligence gathering, improve strategic deployment of personnel and strengthen community policing in the ongoing effort to combat crime across Sokoto state.
