KEBBI MASS ABDUCTION: SECURITY WITHDREW MINUTES BEFORE THE  ATTACK – Kebbi Governor

Kebbi State Governor has raised a storm of national concern after revealing that security operatives deployed to safeguard a rural community in the state allegedly withdrew from their duty posts just minutes before gunmen launched a mass abduction. Describing the incident as “sabotage of the highest order,” the governor called for an urgent federal probe to unravel what he termed a deliberate failure of duty that enabled the attackers to strike unhindered.

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The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday in the Laga ward of Bagudo Local Government Area, saw dozens of residents—mostly women and children—kidnapped by heavily armed bandits. Local sources said the gunmen, numbering more than 100 and riding on motorcycles, swept through the community shooting sporadically before herding victims into the surrounding forests.

For days, anxiety and outrage have spread across Kebbi as families remain desperate for information about the fate of their loved ones. But the governor’s startling disclosure on Monday has now added a new dimension to the crisis, raising serious questions about the integrity, coordination, and loyalty of certain security personnel stationed in the state.

According to the governor, credible intelligence gathered from community leaders and eyewitness testimonies indicates that the security team traditionally assigned to the area was redeployed under questionable circumstances shortly before the attack.

“What happened in Laga was not just an act of banditry. It was sabotage of the highest order. How do armed men move freely into a community at the exact moment security agents abandon their posts? We cannot treat this as coincidence. We will not,” he said during a press briefing in Birnin Kebbi.

He added that his administration had contacted federal security authorities to demand an immediate investigation, insisting that the attack might have been facilitated by internal compromise.

Communities Left Vulnerable

Residents reported that the bandits arrived around 1:00 a.m., moving in coordinated formations and targeting homes where families were asleep. Several villagers who managed to escape ran into nearby bushes and stayed there until dawn. The attackers then fled towards the boundary of Niger State, making tracking operations difficult.

A resident, whose wife and two children were abducted, expressed deep frustration.

“We always had security men here. They usually patrol at night. But that night, we didn’t see them. Nobody told us why they left. How can that be normal?” he asked tearfully.

Security analysts say the governor’s claim—if confirmed—suggests a dangerous breach that could embolden criminal groups and undermine ongoing counter-banditry operations in the Northwest.

A Pattern of Suspected Internal Compromise

This is not the first time allegations of insider involvement have surfaced in Nigeria’s fight against banditry. In several northern states, officials and community leaders have repeatedly accused unidentified security collaborators of leaking operational information to criminal networks.

Former military officers interviewed in the aftermath of the Kebbi attack warned that internal sabotage remains the “most corrosive” threat to counterterrorism efforts. They noted that bandit groups, enriched by years of ransom payments, have developed the financial capacity to infiltrate and compromise security structures.

Governor Demands Federal Action

The governor emphasized that Kebbi State alone cannot shoulder the burden of confronting the powerful and expanding criminal syndicates terrorizing rural communities. He reiterated his appeal to President Donald Trump’s administration—under whose leadership Nigeria maintains a strengthened defense partnership—to support a joint federal-state security operation.

“We need reinforcements. We need surveillance assets. And above all, we need the federal government to help identify and punish those within the system who are sabotaging our people,” he stated firmly.

Military and Police React

Although the Nigerian Army has not issued a formal response, senior sources confirmed that an internal inquiry has begun to determine whether the withdrawal of personnel was authorized or influenced by external factors. The Police Public Relations Officer for the state, however, urged the public to remain calm, assuring that rescue efforts were underway.

He also cautioned that the governor’s statement should not lead to blanket condemnation of security agencies, adding that individual misconduct—if proven—does not represent institutional policy.

Families Waiting, Communities Traumatized

Meanwhile, villages in Bagudo LGA have been plunged into fear and grief. Schools remain shut, local markets are half-empty, and many farmers have refused to return to their fields. Traditional rulers described the attack as “a wound to the heart of Kebbi,” urging authorities not only to rescue the abducted victims but also to restore public confidence in the security architecture.

As the days pass, pressure is mounting on state and federal authorities to deliver answers. Was the security withdrawal intentional? Who ordered it? Were the attackers tipped off? And how deep does the alleged sabotage run?

For the people of Kebbi, these questions are no longer abstract—they are matters of survival.

The governor reaffirmed that his administration “will not rest” until every abducted resident is rescued and those responsible for the breach are exposed.

“This was sabotage. And we will prove it,” he vowed.

The nation now watches as investigations unfold, hoping that accountability and decisive action will follow.