Police Honour Fallen Kebbi Officers, Vows To Support Families
By Anne Osemekeh, Abuja
Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has assured the families of 10 police officers killed in a gun battle with bandits in Kebbi State that the Nigeria Police Force will not abandon them.
Disu gave the assurance on Monday at a memorial parade held at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, in honour of the fallen Special Intervention Squad (SIS) personnel.
TheFact Daily had reported that the officers were killed on August 10, 2026, during an encounter with suspected bandits along the Rafin Makuku axis of Sakaba Local Government Area, Kebbi State, after intercepting a heavily armed group moving between Zamfara and Kebbi.
Two other officers and two civilians also died in the encounter, while police said at least 17 suspected bandits were neutralised and four motorcycles belonging to the attackers destroyed.
“These gallant officers died doing what they swore an oath to do—to serve, to protect and to defend lives and property,” Disu said, describing their sacrifice as a reminder of the risks police personnel face daily to keep Nigerians safe.
He extended condolences to the bereaved families and assured them that the Force would continue to support them and ensure their loved ones’ sacrifices were never forgotten.
Disu also vowed that the police would work with the Armed Forces, other security agencies, state governments and communities to confront banditry, terrorism and violent crime.
“We shall not be intimidated, we shall not relent, and we shall not allow the sacrifices of our fallen heroes to be in vain,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the NPF Special Intervention Squad (SIS), CP Abayomi Shogunle, also appealed to the IGP to ensure that the families of the fallen officers were adequately supported, saying such assistance would boost the morale of personnel still serving.
Shogunle commended the fallen officers for standing their ground during the attack and said subsequent battle damage assessments indicated that large numbers of terrorists were killed.
He said villagers were still reporting the discovery of bandits’ bodies days after the encounter, underscoring the scale of the casualties inflicted on the attackers.
Shogunle described the SIS as a highly trained and motivated unit and urged the police leadership to sustain the morale of its personnel by caring for the families of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
