Four Dead, Soldier Missing as Bandits Attack Farming Community in Kebbi State

Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.

A devastating bandit attack on the Tudun Bicci community in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State has left four people dead and a soldier missing, marking the latest in a series of violent incidents that have ravaged communities in Nigeria's North-West region. The attack occurred on Wednesday, July 29, 2026, when armed bandits invaded farmlands in the area, prompting a fierce gun battle with security personnel and local forest guards that resulted in multiple casualties on both sides.

The Chairman of Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, Hussaini Aliyu Bena, confirmed the incident in a telephone interview with journalists, clarifying conflicting reports surrounding the casualties. According to Bena, the victims were two forest guards and two civilians, while one soldier remains unaccounted for. "The reports circulating that a soldier was killed are not correct. The victims were two forest guards and two civilians, while one soldier is currently missing," Bena stated. The council chairman attributed the persistent insecurity in the area to the activities of bandits operating from camps in neighbouring Zamfara and Niger states, which have long served as safe havens for criminal networks launching attacks across state borders.

During the encounter, security personnel engaged the assailants in a prolonged exchange of gunfire. Bena disclosed that several bandits were neutralised during the confrontation, while others escaped into the surrounding forests with gunshot wounds. "Many of the bandits were killed during the encounter while others fled with gunshot wounds," he said. The attack came just days after the abduction of Justice Faruku Hassan Bunza, a Kebbi State High Court judge, by suspected bandits, an incident that further heightened concerns over the deteriorating security situation in the state. The reported demand for a N200 million ransom for the judge's release has sparked renewed calls for stronger security operations across the North-West.

Tudun Bicci is located on the border between Kebbi and Zamfara states, an area that has become a corridor for armed bandits who exploit the porous boundaries to evade security forces. Danko/Wasagu is one of the worst-hit local government areas in Kebbi State, sharing boundaries with parts of Zamfara and Niger states where armed bandit groups maintain hideouts in vast forest belts. The area has witnessed repeated attacks on farming communities, kidnappings for ransom, cattle rustling, and deadly ambushes on security personnel in recent years. Farmers in the region have increasingly become prime targets of bandits, who attack them on their farmlands, steal their harvests, and abduct them for ransom, severely disrupting agricultural activities and threatening food security in the state.

In response to the rising threats, Governor Nasir Idris recently convened a high-level security meeting involving heads of security agencies, local government chairmen, traditional rulers, and vigilante groups to strengthen the state's security architecture and coordinate efforts to tackle banditry and other violent crimes. According to Bena, the Kebbi State Government, in collaboration with security agencies and the local government, had intensified efforts to curb recurring attacks and kidnappings in the area. "The state government, working closely with security agencies and the local government, is taking decisive measures to bring an end to the incessant attacks and kidnappings in this area," he said. He added that troops in joint patrol are now criss-crossing all parts of the localities to boost security and restore confidence in farmers to till their lands without apprehension of attack.

Despite these assurances, the latest attack underscores the persistent challenge of banditry in Kebbi State and the wider North-West, where criminal groups continue to operate with alarming impunity. The abduction of the judge and the deadly assault on Tudun Bicci are stark reminders of the expanding reach of bandits, who increasingly target not only rural communities but also government officials and security personnel. The incident also highlights the vulnerability of local security forces, including forest guards and soldiers, who often find themselves outgunned and outnumbered in confrontations with heavily armed criminal groups.

Efforts to obtain the reaction of the Kebbi State Police Command were unsuccessful, as the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bashir Usman, could not be reached for comment at the time of filing this report. However, Bena appealed to residents to remain calm and continue supporting security agencies with credible information, expressing confidence that ongoing security operations would restore lasting peace to the affected communities. "We urge our people to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies. The government is committed to restoring peace and ensuring that lives and property are adequately protected," Bena said.

As the search for the missing soldier continues and the community of Tudun Bicci mourns its dead, the attack serves as yet another grim reminder of the urgent need for decisive action to halt the bloodshed that has become a daily reality for millions of Nigerians in the North-West. The loss of two forest guards, two civilians, and the disappearance of a soldier underscore the human cost of a security crisis that shows no signs of abating. For the families of the victims, the pain is immeasurable. For the residents of Danko/Wasagu, the question remains whether the government's renewed commitment to security will translate into tangible change, or whether they will continue to bear the brunt of a conflict that has already claimed too many lives.

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