A report obtained by AFP has revealed that bandits fleeing a police offensive are making moves into Kano State, in northwest Nigeria.
This development could further escalate the security crisis in Northern Nigeria, where banditry and terrorism continue to thrive, causing widespread kidnappings and killings.
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The intelligence report, shared by the Zamfara state governor’s office with police authorities in Kano, warned that bandits escaping from Zamfara are quickly turning Kano into a “safe haven.”
According to the report, some bandits’ informants have been relocating to Kano and purchasing houses to use as an “escape route” for themselves, their leaders, and their families.
Though the report did not specify the number of bandits moving into the state, it identified six neighborhoods where they were allegedly settling and urged the police to investigate estate agents and profile house buyers from Zamfara and Sokoto to identify potential threats.
“It is true we received this intel from Zamfara. We already know of bandits and terrorists’ infiltration in parts of Kano, and we have been working to deal with the threat,” a security source in Kano confirmed to AFP. “We have been working quietly to avoid creating panic in the city,” the source added.
The report, signed by Bashir Makama, an assistant superintendent of police from the State Intelligence Department (SID) in Zamfara, was shared with other security agencies in Kano.
The movement of bandits is believed to be a result of the ongoing military operations against them in states like Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara, which has led to the killing of major bandit leaders, including Halilu Sububu, a notorious figure in northwestern Nigeria.
State authorities have expressed concern over this development. “We have not been resting on our oars since 2009 when Boko Haram terrorists thronged Kano from Maiduguri. This intel from Zamfara is only a reminder for us not to be complacent,” a second security source noted.
Despite ongoing government efforts, Nigeria continues to face escalating insecurity, with rampant kidnappings and killings causing widespread alarm among the population.
