The confrontation happened when a convoy of bandits estimated at about 240 men on more than 200 motorcycles tried to cross into Kebbi from the Sangeko Gap area of Dansadau District in Maru LGA of Zamfara State.
According to residents, the attackers moved in three separate formations on Sunday night and camped in a forest between Kakihum and Makuku villages. They stayed there overnight before heading toward Maburya community early Monday morning.
A resident of Makuku, Malam Musa Sani, said trouble started when the bandits ran into a mobile police checkpoint at the entrance of the community. He alleged that the gunmen overwhelmed the officers, killed 10 mobile policemen, killed two civilians, and made away with their rifles.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson of the Kebbi State Police Command, DSP Bashir Usman, said operatives intercepted the heavily armed group as they attempted to enter the state.
“This morning, our men intercepted and engaged a heavily armed group of suspected bandits moving between Zamfara and Kebbi States along the Rafin Makuku axis of Sakaba Local Government Area,” he said.
DSP Usman said 17 of the attackers were neutralised during the exchange of fire. He added that four motorcycles belonging to the bandits were burnt in the operation. He noted that the figures are still being verified as mop-up operations continue in the surrounding bushes.
The police spokesman described the clash as one of the deadliest recent encounters on the border.
“Tragically, we lost 10 gallant police personnel in the engagement, while two others sustained injuries and are receiving medical attention. Two civilians also lost their lives during the encounter,” he said.
He described the slain officers as brave men who stood their ground despite being outnumbered. According to him, the officers fought with courage and professionalism to prevent the bandits from gaining access to nearby communities.
The command said its immediate focus now is on three things: supporting the families of the fallen officers, ensuring the injured receive proper treatment, and sustaining pursuit operations against those who fled into the forest.
Security sources said the bandits were likely fleeing pressure from ongoing military operations in Zamfara before attempting to enter Kebbi. The Sangeko Gap in Dansadau has been identified in previous security reports as a major route used by armed groups moving between the two states.
Residents of Sakaba and surrounding villages said they heard heavy gunfire for nearly an hour. Many fled to nearby bushes for safety before returning after troops and police reinforced the area.
Local leaders have called for more security presence along the border communities. They said the porous forest routes between Zamfara and Kebbi have become safe corridors for bandits to move weapons, rustled cattle and kidnapped victims.
The Kebbi State government has not yet issued a statement, but the police said joint operations with the military and local vigilantes have been intensified to prevent further incursions.
The bodies of the 10 police officers have been deposited in a mortuary, while the injured officers are being treated in hospital. The two civilians killed were buried according to Islamic rites.
DSP Usman urged residents to remain calm and to volunteer information on any suspicious movements. He said the command will not relent until the perpetrators are tracked down.
Monday’s clash adds to the growing toll of violence along the Zamfara-Kebbi border, where security forces have been battling bandit groups that operate across state lines.
Authorities say mop-up operations are still ongoing in the forests around Rafin Makuku, Kakihum and Maburya as they search for fleeing bandits and recover more weapons.
