Kebbi Deputy Speaker abducted by gunmen after evening prayers. Police, army and vigilantes launch rescue operation to free the lawmaker

Kebbi Deputy Speaker abducted by suspected bandits in a daring Friday night raid in Bagudo Local Government Area, sparking a large-scale rescue mission across the region.

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The victim, Alhaji Muhammad Sama’ila-Bagudo, was seized at about 8:20 p.m. shortly after performing Isha’i prayers, according to a statement issued by the Kebbi State Police Command on Saturday.

Police spokesperson CSP Nafi’u Abubakar confirmed that the lawmaker was attacked while returning home in Bagudo town, adding that a joint security team comprising police tactical units, military personnel, and vigilantes has been deployed to rescue him.

“The joint team is currently combing the bandits’ routes and nearby forests with a view to rescuing the lawmaker unhurt and arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act,” Abubakar stated.

He said the Commissioner of Police, Bello Sani, had reaffirmed the command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property in Kebbi, urging residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies.

“The CP has also appealed to members of the public to remain vigilant and continue to support the police and other security agencies to ensure peace and stability in the state,” the police statement added.

It remains unclear whether the Deputy Speaker was accompanied by security personnel at the time of the abduction.

Kebbi, like many states in Northwest Nigeria, has suffered persistent banditry and kidnapping attacks, with villages and travellers frequently targeted by armed gangs.

In a related development, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) recently threatened to boycott courts in the state following the abduction of a lawyer, Isyaku Muhammad-Danjumma, underscoring the deepening insecurity across the region.

Security experts have called for a more coordinated counter-insurgency approach, warning that recurring kidnappings of high-profile individuals signal the growing audacity of armed groups operating in the North-West.

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The Kebbi Deputy Speaker’s abduction marks the latest in a troubling wave of attacks that continue to test Nigeria’s fragile internal security framework.