The Nigeria Police Force has confirmed the death of 10 personnel following a fierce gun battle with suspected bandits in Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State, underscoring the escalating security pressure across parts of the North-West.
The confrontation, which occurred at about 9:25 a.m. on Monday, August 10, along the Rafin Makuku axis, also left two civilians dead and two police personnel injured, according to the Force.
Police operatives reportedly intercepted a heavily armed group of suspected bandits believed to have been moving between Zamfara and Kebbi states when the encounter began.
Ani Iniedu, Force Public Relations Officer, said in a statement issued on Tuesday that 17 suspected bandits were killed during the exchange of fire, while four motorcycles belonging to the attackers were destroyed.
The police casualties highlight the risks faced by security personnel operating along the increasingly volatile corridor linking Kebbi and Zamfara, where criminal groups have exploited difficult terrain and vast rural communities to carry out attacks and evade security operations.
