Security forces in Zamfara State have killed about 600 suspected bandits and rescued 2,000 hostages in 45 major anti-banditry and anti-kidnapping operations conducted across the state in the last one year.

The state Police Command disclosed this in a statement signed by its spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, at the weekend.

According to the command, the operations were carried out between July 2025 and June 2026 by a combination of security agencies and community-based security personnel.

The command said the operations also led to the recovery of more than 3,500 cattle and 277 sheep reportedly rustled by bandits.

It said the recovered livestock were handed over to their owners through the intervention of the Zamfara State Government.

The police further disclosed that more than 30,000 internally displaced persons had returned to their communities following improved security.

It listed Fegin Kanawa, Fegin Mahe and Yarkatsinan Laka among the communities where displaced residents had returned.

The command made the disclosure in response to a report by SBM Intelligence, which claimed that only four anti-kidnapping operations were conducted in Zamfara between July 2025 and June 2026.

The police rejected the figure, saying its official records showed that 45 major anti-banditry and anti-kidnapping operations were conducted across the state during the period.

Abubakar said the operations involved Police Tactical Operatives, the Violence Crime Response Unit, Anti-Bomb Squad and military personnel.

He added that Community Protection Guards and members of the Civilian JTF also participated in the operations.

The command, however, acknowledged the severity of banditry and kidnapping in Zamfara, noting that the security situation remained a serious concern.

It maintained that the figures contained in the SBM Intelligence report did not accurately reflect the scale of security operations carried out across the state.

The police said the recorded operations and their outcomes demonstrated the sustained efforts of security forces to tackle banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities in Zamfara.