Odita Sunday 
By Odita Sunday
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, has honoured 10 police officers of the Special Intervention Squad who were killed during a fierce encounter with suspected bandits in Kebbi State.
The officers were killed on August 10, 2026, while engaging a heavily armed group of suspected bandits along the Rafin Makuku axis of Sakaba Local Government Area of Kebbi State.
Speaking at a memorial parade held in honour of the fallen officers at the Force Headquarters in Abuja on Monday, Disu said the policemen paid the supreme price while defending the lives and property of Nigerians.
According to him, the officers had intercepted the suspected bandits who were moving between Zamfara and Kebbi states when the encounter occurred.
He said 10 police personnel were killed and two others injured during the gun battle, while two civilians also lost their lives.
The IGP, however, said the sacrifice of the officers was not in vain, as at least 17 suspected bandits were neutralised and four motorcycles belonging to the attackers were destroyed.
Disu said the fallen officers died fulfilling their oath to serve, protect and defend Nigerians, adding that their sacrifice reflected the dangers police personnel face daily in the course of securing the country.
He commiserated with the families of the deceased officers, assuring them that the Nigeria Police Force would not abandon them.
“Behind every fallen officer is a family that has lost a husband, father, son, brother or loved one,” the IGP said, adding that the Force remained committed to supporting the bereaved families and ensuring that the sacrifices of their loved ones were never forgotten.
Disu also called on Nigerians to remember the fallen officers and thousands of other police personnel who continue to risk their lives in the fight against insecurity across the country.
He assured Nigerians that the police would remain committed to their constitutional responsibility of protecting lives and property, stressing that the Force would continue to collaborate with the Armed Forces, sister security agencies, state governments and local communities to confront banditry, terrorism and other forms of violent crime.
“We shall not be intimidated, we shall not relent, and we shall not allow the sacrifices of our fallen heroes to be in vain,” he said.
The IGP vowed that the police would continue to pursue criminal elements, disrupt their operations and ensure that those responsible for attacks on security personnel and innocent citizens were brought to justice.
He urged Nigerians to honour the fallen officers with pride and gratitude, saying their sacrifice should strengthen the collective determination to build a safer country.
He prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased officers and for God to grant their families the strength to bear the loss.
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