The Zamfara State Police Command has reported that its operatives, while patrolling along the Mayanchi-Anka road, encountered some suspected armed bandits on March 24, 2025.
In a press conference held on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, the state police spokesman, DSP Yazid Abubakar, stated that the bandits, upon sighting the police patrol vehicle approaching their location, opened fire on the vehicle.
He added that the police patrol, led by ASP Bilyaminu Koko, returned fire and engaged the bandits until they fled, abandoning their operational weapons.
Among the items recovered by the police from the encounter were one AK-47 rifle, three live rounds of ammunition, a large quantity of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp, and some suspected quantities of hard drugs.
DSP Yazid insisted that police operations in the area are ongoing to ensure the safety of citizens and prevent any retaliatory attacks from the bandits.
In a related development, the police spokesperson also stated that the Zamfara police command has arrested Ibrahim Mohammed, a 50-year-old resident of Kanoma town in Maru local government, who is suspected to be a member of an armed bandits’ camp in Zamfara State.
He said that on June 2, 2025, police detectives, acting on credible intelligence, successfully apprehended Ibrahim Mohammed, a 50-year-old male from Kanoma village in Maru LGA, who is suspected of being an armed bandit and a representative for arms deals in the region.
Yazid insisted that , during interrogation, Ibrahim confessed to working with a bandit kingpin known as “Babuga Abubakar,” also known as “Birki.” He and his gang have been terrorizing the Maru, Kanoma, and Bukkuyum areas of the state. Ibrahim also disclosed plans for illegal arms purchases. The suspect has been charged in court, and efforts are ongoing to apprehend other members of the gang.
