3 Bandits Neutralized As Police Take Over Jangebe Forest In Zamfara

The Zamfara State Police Command said it has recorded a major breakthrough in its ongoing offensive against banditry, neutralising three armed bandits during an operation in Jangebe Forest.

A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said the operation followed the deployment of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and CSK operational vehicles provided by the Zamfara State Government to intensify security operations in forested and remote areas used as hideouts by criminal groups.

According to the statement, on June 7, 2026, at about 6:00 p.m., a joint security team comprising operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Zamfara State Police Command, and Civil Security Volunteers carried out a coordinated operation in Taza, Wuya, and Gwaram villages within the Jangebe Forest axis of Anka Local Government Area.

The team was led by the Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmad Muhammad Bello.

The statement said the operatives encountered heavily armed bandits upon arrival at the locations, leading to a fierce gun battle.

“At the end of the operation, three bandits were neutralised, while several others escaped into the forest with suspected gunshot injuries. One suspect was arrested. Recovered exhibits include three AK-47 rifles, twenty-three rounds of live ammunition, three magazines, and ten motorcycles,” the statement said.

It added that no casualties were recorded among police operatives or supporting security personnel.

The command noted that the operation is significant as it marks the first major security incursion and direct engagement within that axis of Jangebe Forest, previously considered a stronghold of criminal elements.