By Our Reporter
Not many are surprised why the north eastern state of Kebbi is one of the notorious used by the Bandits turned smugglers in Kebbi state. For a state that shares boundary with the neighbouring Republic of Benin and Niger, a land -locked member country of the Alliance for States, AES, an which in turn shares boundary with Benin Republic, appears to have put the heat on the France sponsored terrorists in their country.
Given that the killer gang terrorists could no longer operate freely in Niger Republic as Abdulrahmane Tchiani, an Army General and the country’s Head of State, has engaged the services of the Wagner , a private military company, mercenaries from the Russia Federation to fight alongside the Nigerien soldiers to kick out the criminal elements may have forced many of them to relocate to Nigeria and settle in Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, and Katsina, home state of late former President Muhammadu Buhari, to carry out their nefarious activities: kill and smuggle contraband, arms and ammunition into the country.
The Nigerien based terrorists turned smuggler who could not stand the superior fire power of he Wagner mercenaries but now in Nigeria may have found the country security agencies personnel, particular, the Customs personnel involved in anti-smuggling operations to forestall the smuggling of contraband, arms and ammunition into the country as a treat and ever ready to attack them.
Note that the Nigerien based terrorists turned smugglers and their Nigerian collaborators which operates around the Dole Kaina Community forest in the Dandi Local government area of Kebbi which shares land border with Lolo and IIL Communities , described as home of the terrorists in the Dosso region where there are many illegal routes to enter into Nigeria from Niger and sea border with Benin Republic appears to have made it possible for the terrorists to smuggle with easy.
Compt. Matawalle Ibrahim, may have provided ammunition for the Nigerien based smugglers and their Nigerian collaborators to go back to the drawing board to restrategise on how to confront the Kebbi Command anti-smuggling officers when he declared on assumption of office that ‘’sabotage and indiscipline’’ will not be tolerated among the officers serving in the Command under is leadership.
He may have learnt from the mistakes of his predecessor Comp. Chukwumeziri Nwokorie, who may have been sabotaged in his bold initiatives to wage a decisive war against smuggling in Kbbi state. In his emotional outbursts during the during handover on Monday, Sept.15, 2025, he had sounded it clear that that the state’s strategic border location with Niger and Benin Republics calls for firmness and total vigilance to contain the activities of the cross-border smugglers. He may have given room for sabotage when he declared that his key focus would be ‘’tougher anti-smuggling operations, tighter border control in collaboration with the other security agencies in the state and deeper stakeholder engagement’’.
Notwithstanding his warning that’’ smuggling networks, compromise, indiscipline and sabotage to to the Command anti-smuggling operations will face immediate and firm sanctions under his Leadership in Kebbi Command, but that was how far he could go.
Barely one week after taking over as the Area Controller of Kebbi Command, Compt. Ibrahim, appears to have gotten his first baptism of fire from the terrorists turned smugglers in the notorious Dandi local government area in the state. An unidentified officer, as reported by Sahara Reporters had been shot at a close range at the Fingila checkpoint in the area.
Malam Abdulrasheed, a resident of the Fingila village reportedly said that the attackers of the customs checkpoint at the Fingila village were about seven in number, armed with sophisticated weapons and riding on motorcycles but came across the officer sitting near a mosque and shot him dead.
He had reported that two other officers who were not on the scene of the attack managed to escape by scrawling through the maize plants in the farm in the area. There is no gain saying the fact that the Dandi local government axis of Kebbi state, which shares boundary with the Dosso region of Niger, is a flash point area for gun trotting killer terrorists’ gangs turned smugglers.
Efforts to speak to Abdullahi Aliyu Maiwada, an Assistant Comptroller and the Customs spokesperson on the alleged Killing of an officer serving in Kebbi Command by suspected gunmen proved abortive as he ‘’declined the call’’.
It would be recalled that in August 2023, two officers attached t the Kebbi Command, Kabiru Shehu and Abdullahi Muhammad were shot by suspected terrorists turned smugglers at the Bunza – Dankin Gari-Koko road during a shot out with the terrorists who in an ash- coloured Toyota Corlla.
