Zamfara Community Courageous, Helping Police To Fight Banditry – Police

No fewer than 30 bandits have been killed after residents of Tudun Biri village in Gumi local government area of Zamfara State, supported by police operatives, repelled a three-day invasion to capture the community.
The bandits, it was gathered, invaded the community for three consecutive days – Sunday, Monday and Tuesday – in an attempt to overrun the village.

Confirming the incident to LEADERSHIP Weekend on telephone on Friday, a resident, Zayannu Tudu, said on the first day, about 11 bandits were killed when the community resisted the attack.

According to him, on the second day, about seven bandits were killed, while on the third day, the gunmen returned for a final assault but were again repelled with heavy casualties, bringing the total number of bandits killed to about 30.

Confirming the attack on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Zamfara State Command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, who spoke exclusively with LEADERSHIP Weekend, said the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Gumi LGA led his men in the operation, stressing that the success was a joint effort.

“They are working together with the villagers. It was with the backup of the police that they were able to do the defence.

“They are very courageous people. They assisted very well. Even before the arrival of the police, they grouped themselves and took strategic positions,” he said.

The PPRO said the Command has deployed operatives to stay in vulnerable communities as part of its community policing strategy to support residents in defending their communities.

LEADERSHIP checks showed that it has been six months of community resistance in the state while the Tudun Biri incident is the biggest community fight-back in recent months.

Other similar incidents include:

Birnin Tudu, Gummi LGA – October 2026: Residents killed over 30 bandits after gunmen on more than 100 motorcycles, conveying three persons each, surrounded the village. Three villagers were killed. Vigilante commander, Bello Abubakar, alias Bello Karo, has called for an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) over fear of reprisal.

Fegin Mahe, Gusau LGA – October 16, 2026: Troops and vigilantes foiled a bandit attack. Some bandits were killed while others fled.

Fegi Kanawa – October 18, 2026: Operatives of Fegi Kanawa Division, with support from Fegi Mahe and Force Headquarters, neutralised two bandits and rescued five abducted persons unhurt.

Anka LGA – October 8, 2026: Troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA repelled bandits in Kombo-Gurus villages and recovered 73 rustled livestock, including 14 camels, 19 cattle and 40 sheep.

Dansadau Axis – September 18, 2026: Vigilantes killed a bandit kingpin. In reprisal, bandits attacked Dandallah, Tudu Gabas and Unguwar Majidadi, killing 13 persons, with nine killed in Dandallah alone.

Tsafe and Maru LGAs – September 27, 2026: Troops foiled two kidnapping attempts and rescued 10 victims along Tsafe-Funtua Road and Kade Daba village in Maru LGA.

It would be recalled that the Zamfara State Police Command in September disclosed that it had killed about 600 suspected bandits and rescued over 2,000 hostages in the preceding one year, with over 30,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) returning to their communities.