By Kingsley Omonobi
ABUJA — The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has vowed that the Nigeria Police Force will not relent in its fight against banditry and other violent crimes following the killing of 10 officers of the Special Intervention Squad in an encounter with suspected bandits in Kebbi State.
Disu made the pledge on Monday, August 24, 2026, at a memorial parade held at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, in honour of the fallen officers.
The IGP said the officers paid the supreme price while confronting a heavily armed group of suspected bandits along the Rafin Makuku axis of Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State on August 10.
According to him, the police personnel intercepted the suspected bandits who were moving between Zamfara and Kebbi states, resulting in a fierce exchange of gunfire that left 10 officers dead and two others injured.
Two civilians also lost their lives in the encounter.
Disu said the officers’ sacrifice was not in vain, noting that at least 17 suspected bandits were neutralised while four motorcycles belonging to the attackers were destroyed.
He described the deceased officers as gallant personnel who died while discharging their constitutional and professional responsibility to protect lives and property.
“We shall not be intimidated, we shall not relent, and we shall not allow the sacrifices of our fallen heroes to be in vain,” Disu said.
The IGP expressed condolences to the families of the deceased officers and assured them that the police would continue to support them and ensure that the sacrifices of their loved ones were not forgotten.
“We grieve with you, we stand with you, and we will not abandon you,” he told the bereaved families.
Disu urged Nigerians to remember the fallen officers and the thousands of other police personnel who continue to risk their lives in the line of duty.
He stressed that the security enjoyed by citizens often comes at a heavy personal cost to security personnel.
The IGP assured Nigerians that the Police Force would continue to work with the Armed Forces, sister security agencies, state governments and local communities to confront banditry, terrorism and other forms of violent criminality.
He further vowed that the Force would intensify efforts to track down those responsible for attacks on police personnel and innocent citizens, disrupt their activities and bring them to justice.
“We will continue to pursue these criminal elements, disrupt their activities and bring those responsible for attacks on our personnel and innocent citizens to justice,” he said.
Disu urged police personnel to draw renewed determination from the sacrifice of their fallen colleagues, while calling on Nigerians to honour their memory by supporting efforts to build a safer and more peaceful country.
He prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased officers and for strength for their families to bear the loss.
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