By Ify Okoli
The Kebbi State Government has
confirmed that 10 police officers and other people were killed during a gun
battle with terrorists in the Rafin Makuku area of Sakaba Local Government
Area.
Governor Nasir Idris described
the deaths as a painful loss, saying the officers were killed while protecting
residents and defending Nigeria’s territorial integrity. Seventeen terrorists
were also reportedly killed during the confrontation.
Idris spoke at Government House
in Birnin Kebbi when a delegation from the Nigeria Police Force, led by Deputy
Inspector-General Umar Dada on behalf of Inspector-General Olatunji Disu,
visited to offer condolences.
The governor said the officers
had been deployed to the area as part of joint security operations against
terrorism, banditry and other crimes threatening communities across the state.
He expressed sympathy to the
police leadership, the families of the dead officers and residents affected by
the attack. He also promised continued government assistance to the bereaved
families.
“I want to condole the IGP and
the entire Nigeria Police Force over the sudden death of these officers,” Idris
said. He added that supporting families of security personnel killed in service
remained a tradition in Kebbi.
“The Kebbi State Government
will come to the aid of the families of the officers who lost their lives,” he
said.
Dada, who delivered the police
chief’s condolences, said the force would step up efforts to locate those
behind the attack. He pledged that investigators would pursue the suspects,
arrest them and ensure they faced prosecution.
The DIG also praised the state
government for its cooperation with security agencies, describing the
partnership as vital to ongoing operations against violent groups in the state.
He disclosed that a police
squadron would soon be established in Kebbi, a move expected to increase the
force’s presence and improve its ability to respond to security threats and
protect communities.
The condolence visit came after
the deadly confrontation along the Rafin Makuku axis, where the 10 officers and
other victims lost their lives.
Governor Idris said the state
would continue working with the police and other security agencies to
strengthen security and protect communities considered vulnerable to attacks.
He said the government would
also continue supporting personnel serving in dangerous areas while ensuring
that those responsible for terrorism and other violent crimes were pursued
through the justice system.
For the families of the fallen
officers, however, the official promises come against the backdrop of a much
more painful reality: the loss of loved ones who died while carrying out one of
the country’s most difficult duties.
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