Zamfara Police Disputes SBM Report, Says 45 Anti-Kidnapping Operations Conducted In 1 Year

The Zamfara State Police Command has disputed a report by SBM Intelligence which claimed that only four anti-kidnapping operations were conducted in the state between July 2025 and June 2026.

The Command said its records showed that 45 major anti-banditry and anti-kidnapping operations were conducted across Zamfara during the period.

The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday.

According to him, the operations involved Police Tactical Operatives, the Violence Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Anti-Bomb Squad, military personnel, Community Protection Guards and Civilian JTF.

The Command acknowledged the severity of banditry and kidnapping in the state but said the figure contained in the SBM report did not reflect the scale of security operations conducted during the period.

It said the operations resulted in the neutralisation of more than 600 armed bandits, while several others escaped with gunshot wounds.

The police also claimed that more than 2,000 kidnapped victims were rescued and reunited with their families.

In addition, over 3,500 cattle and 277 sheep allegedly rustled by bandits were recovered and handed over to their owners through the intervention of the Zamfara State Government.

The Command said the sustained operations had contributed to improved security in several communities and facilitated the return of displaced residents.

It disclosed that more than 30,000 internally displaced persons had returned to their communities, including Fegin Kanawa, Fegin Mahe and Yarkatsinan Laka.

“The return of the displaced residents is an indication of the impact of ongoing security operations, particularly in enabling residents to return to their homes, farms and livelihoods,” the statement said.

The police explained that not all anti-banditry operations were publicly disclosed because of operational and security considerations.

It said many of the operations were intelligence-led, covert and jointly conducted with other security agencies and, therefore, might not appear in open-source assessments.

The Command urged organisations and researchers documenting Nigeria’s security situation to verify security statistics with relevant agencies before publication.

Zamfara remains one of the states worst affected by banditry and mass kidnappings, with security agencies and the state government continuing joint operations aimed at restoring security and enabling displaced residents to return to their communities and farmlands.