Police arrest suspected bandits in Sokoto
The Sokoto State Police Command has arrested key members of the notorious “Sai Malam” network and suspected bandits operating in parts of the state. At a press briefing on Thursday, the Police said operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, acting on credible intelligence, arrested two suspected leaders of the “Sai Malam” group in Rugar Woro area […]
The Sokoto State Police Command has arrested key members of the notorious “Sai Malam” network and suspected bandits operating in parts of the state.
At a press briefing on Thursday, the Police said operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit, acting on credible intelligence, arrested two suspected leaders of the “Sai Malam” group in Rugar Woro area of Wamakko Local Government Area.
The suspects were identified as Abdulrazak Salihu, also known as Monosa, of Polytechnic Quarters, and Habibu Sahabi, popularly called Habibi, of Rugar Woro.
They were arrested on January 18, 2026, at about 11:30pm when operatives stormed their hideout.
- TRUST DIALOGUE: APC members are not accused of corruption – El-Rufai
- ACF, time to move beyond talkshops
Police said a search conducted during the operation led to the recovery of several exhibits, including a big scorpion, two bags containing a large quantity of suspected fake currency notes in naira, dollars and CFA francs, a POS machine, assorted white papers, perfumes, fetish materials and charms, a red scarf believed to be an identifier of the group, five horns and a sharp cutlass.
According to the Command, investigations revealed that three other key members of the group — Rilwanu Umar, Abdullahi Laro and Musa Abubakar, all of Rugar Woro area — are currently on the run, adding that efforts were ongoing to apprehend them.
The Police noted that the items recovered pointed to the group’s involvement in diverse criminal activities, including financial fraud, intimidation and the use of charms to instil fear, stressing that the arrests had further weakened the operational capacity of the gang.
In a related development, the Anti-Kidnapping Unit also disrupted banditry and extortion networks in Silame and Yabo Local Government Areas.
On January 7, 2026, operatives arrested Bello Degi of Talaji Village, Silame LGA, described as a high-value suspect linked to kidnapping and the imposition of illegal levies on communities in Silame and Yabo.
Police said the suspect confessed to participating in kidnapping operations and admitted receiving N50,000 as his share of ransom payments. An army camouflage uniform was recovered from his residence.
Similarly, on January 12, 2026, three suspects — Bello Sahabi, Abubakar Juli and Aliyu Abubakar — were arrested in Yabo LGA over alleged conspiracy to extort residents of Tudun Bakale community through a threatening letter.
The prime suspect, Ayuba Usman of Kilgori Village, who reportedly authored the letter, was later tracked and arrested, with the letter recovered as an exhibit.
Police said the suspects had been arraigned in court, while investigations continued to arrest other accomplices.
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Musa, reaffirmed the Command’s commitment to public safety and urged residents to continue supporting security agencies with timely information, warning criminals to surrender or face the full wrath of the law.