An estimated 240 armed bandits have mounted a major cross-border push from Zamfara into Kebbi State, triggering an urgent joint military and police operation backed by air power in an attempt to stop the armed group from gaining access to communities along the frontier.
The development, which exposes a fresh attempt by criminal groups to exploit the porous Zamfara-Kebbi corridor, has put security forces on heightened alert as the attackers advance in a large, organised formation rather than the smaller raiding groups commonly associated with bandit attacks in the region.
Security sources said the armed men emerged from the Sangeko Gap in Zamfara State, moving towards Makuku in Kebbi State on motorcycles before splitting into three formations.
The movement prompted the mobilisation of troops of the Nigerian Army’s COAS Intervention Battalion 3 under 8 Division, personnel of the Mobile Police Force and the Air Component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA.
The operation is aimed at preventing the group from penetrating populated areas, cutting off its routes and stopping the fighters from using the border corridor to deepen their operational reach.
The large-scale movement has also triggered concern among residents of communities around the border, with reports that some residents have fled towards safer locations as the security forces move to contain the threat.
The latest development is significant because of the sheer size of the armed formation.
Rather than a conventional hit-and-run raid, the movement of about 240 fighters in three formations points to an attempt by a heavily armed criminal force to move substantial manpower through the border terrain, raising questions about how such a large group was able to mobilise and advance across the frontier.
The Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Nigerian Army/Sector 2, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lt. Col. Olaniyi Osoba, confirmed that troops were engaged in the operation.
He said the military action was still ongoing and that further details would be provided after the operation.
The use of both ground troops and aerial assets underscores the seriousness with which the security agencies are treating the movement.
For Kebbi, the development presents a fresh security challenge at a time when military operations across the North-West are focused on preventing bandit networks from exploiting inter-state boundaries as escape routes and operational corridors.
For Zamfara, the reported emergence of the fighters from the Sangeko axis also highlights the continuing difficulty of completely denying armed groups access to remote terrain from which they can regroup and launch operations into neighbouring states.
The unfolding operation could therefore become a critical test of the military’s ability to detect, intercept and dismantle a large armed formation before it disperses into smaller groups and disappears into the surrounding terrain.
More importantly, the incident has exposed a troubling security reality: armed groups operating across the North-West are not confined by state boundaries.
As troops move to contain the reported incursion, the bigger challenge for security agencies will be preventing the attackers from escaping back into Zamfara or dispersing into surrounding communities after the immediate confrontation.
The military has urged residents to remain vigilant and comply with security directives as the operation continues.
Until the operation is concluded, however, the true strength of the armed group, its casualties, weapons and intended target remain unclear.